The strangeness in Liu Ling'er's body lasted less than twenty breaths.
When that unknown energy disappeared, she broke out in a hot sweat and felt more comfortable than ever before.
The weakness brought on by her pregnancy had vanished without a trace!
Her entire body seemed filled with inexhaustible strength!
She first stood up and stretched her limbs, then knelt on the prayer mat again. As she kowtowed, she said, "Thank you, revered ancestors, for bestowing this divine blessing. I, Liu Ling'er, will not disappoint your nurturing!"
She attributed the tremendous opportunity she had suddenly received to a gift from the revered ancestors of the human race.
Other than that, she truly could not think of another reasonable explanation.
His mother was happy, but Lin Heng was thoroughly frustrated.
"System, why did this happen? Am I not the protagonist?"
"Perhaps this happened because the host's body has yet to fully take shape!"
The system's voice was ice-cold.
"Fuck me..."
Lin Heng wanted to cry, but no tears came.
If he had known this would happen, he would have waited a while before activating the Supreme Divine Physique.
He knew something about the system's rewards. A reward as powerful as this special physique was not easy to obtain.
But on second thought, he felt it wasn't too great a loss.
At least the benefit hadn't gone to waste. His mother in this life had received it, which wasn't entirely unacceptable.
Only if she's strong can she make sure I don't die in the womb or perish in childhood!
That was the only way Lin Heng could console himself.
Inside the Ancestral God Temple.
Liu Ling'er's scream just now had been so loud that it had not only caught the attention of the royal guards at the temple entrance, but also drawn quite a few members of the royal family.
Even Su Ying, who had left earlier, had returned!
"Well, well, Consort Liu, you're getting bolder by the day!"
Su Ying sneered and scolded her angrily. "Shouting in the Ancestral God Temple is an unforgivable crime. Are you so lowborn that you don't even know this rule? You truly lack upbringing!"
First, she pinned a crime on her!
Then she emphasized Liu Ling'er's origins!
And then she berated Liu Ling'er for disregarding the rules and lacking the refinement expected of a consort.
Every word was a knife, every sentence a stab at the heart!
Liu Ling'er quickly regained her composure. Still wearing a breezy smile, she replied, "I do lack upbringing. But whose fault is it that I grew up by your side, Consort Su, in the grand commander's residence?"
That single sentence left Su Ying at a loss.
"You... you..."
Su Ying was no good at verbal sparring. She spluttered for a long while, unable to think of a reply.
Everyone could hear what Liu Ling'er meant.
If Liu Ling'er lacked upbringing, the grand commander's residence would lose face as well.
When it came right down to it, the grand commander's residence was her maiden home!
"Just you wait! Let's see how the king punishes you this time!"
Su Ying left in a fury.
Before long, an elderly eunuch from the palace hurried over.
"By order of the king: Consort Liu behaved improperly in the ancestral temple, in defiance of proper conduct, and ought to be severely punished without leniency. In consideration of her pregnancy, she is temporarily ordered to enter the Palace of Reflection and reflect on her actions behind closed doors. Once the child is born, divine punishment shall be sought!"
The Palace of Reflection was, in fact, the cold palace!
Normally, once a consort was banished to the cold palace, she had almost no chance of making a comeback.
Moreover, the meaning of the king's verbal decree was clear: this matter was not over!
Once Liu Ling'er gave birth, she would still be punished!
No family was more heartless than the imperial house!
Liu Ling'er raised no objection and willingly followed the elderly eunuch to the Palace of Reflection.
The Palace of Reflection was exceedingly crude.
It consisted of only three stone rooms and an enclosing wall.
There were no palace maids or eunuchs here to wait on them. Consorts banished here even had to wash their own clothes and cook their own meals.
The palace maid who had previously attended to Liu Ling'er brought her clothes over.
A few eunuchs also carried in some ingredients.
Creak... bang!
The courtyard gate of the Palace of Reflection shut!
From this day forward, without the king's decree, no one could set foot in the Palace of Reflection, nor could Liu Ling'er leave without permission.
"It's better not to have someone watching over me all day!"
Liu Ling'er was not saddened by her current living conditions.
She had served others since childhood, and even though she was pregnant now, she did not need anyone to look after her.
Liu Ling'er glanced at the heavy, cold courtyard gate, touched her swollen belly, and turned to enter the building.
Of the three rooms, the one in the middle was the sitting room, the one on the left was the kitchen, and the one on the right was the bedroom.
Liu Ling'er entered the bedroom.
A portrait hung on one wall of the bedroom.
The woman in the painting was Mu Wanqing, the principal consort of the Chishui Kingdom's first king. She was a peerless beauty with exquisite features and profound cultivation, and the demons she had slain were beyond counting.
Her portrait had been placed here so that the consorts sent to reflect on their actions would take her as an example!
Anyone in the Chishui Kingdom with even a little education could not possibly be ignorant of Mu Wanqing.
She always wore seven-colored battle robes, and when facing an enemy, she would summon a harp and kill with its music. Even across the entire Divine Firmament Continent, she had few equals!
"I hope that one day I can become a woman like you!"
With that, Liu Ling'er bowed to Mu Wanqing's portrait in tribute.
At that moment, Lin Heng tried to check in here.
"Congratulations, host, on successfully checking in at the Palace of Reflection in the Chishui Royal Palace. The system rewards you with one Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus!"
Lin Heng hurriedly checked the information on the Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus was a divine-grade treasure of heaven and earth. Its lotus seeds could cause the soul realm of cultivators of any race to soar!
The reward for his first check-in at the Palace of Reflection was impressive too!
"Would the host like to consume a Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus seed immediately?"
"System, can I consume it in my current condition?"
Lin Heng had learned his lesson this time and asked first.
"Yes. The Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus seed only affects the soul, and the host's soul is completely normal."
"After I consume it, will its energy be transferred again?"
"Unknown!"
"What the hell! You're the system, and you don't even understand the rules you set yourself? What kind of damn system are you?!"
"If the host is dissatisfied with this system, the binding can be lifted immediately!"
"Uh..."
Lin Heng immediately backed down. "Sorry, sorry, I'm very, very satisfied with this system!"
Release the binding?
Was it kidding?
"Would the host like to consume a Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus seed immediately?"
"Consume it!"
Lin Heng hesitated no longer.
Even if his mother absorbed the energy again, it wasn't unacceptable.
Besides, a Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus had more than just one seed!
Soon, Lin Heng felt something round appear in his mouth. It was probably a lotus seed.
The seed turned into a stream of heat. As soon as it entered his belly, it rushed toward the umbilical cord without lingering for even a moment!
Just as expected!
Having prepared himself, Lin Heng wasn't surprised this time.
He wasn't surprised, but Liu Ling'er was startled.
Another unknown force erupted inside her, leaving her utterly bewildered.
What was going on today?
Liu Ling'er had no time to think further. The unknown energy that had erupted inside her surged straight upward, all of it invading her head.
What followed was a relentless, splitting headache!
She felt as though her soul were being roasted in raging flames!
This time, she couldn't make a sound even if she wanted to scream, because her consciousness and body were separated.
After roughly another twenty breaths, the strangeness in her head disappeared.
Liu Ling'er found that her consciousness had become exceptionally clear. She could even sense the power of her soul!
Overjoyed, she dropped to her knees before Mu Wanqing's portrait.
"Thank you, revered ancestor, for bestowing this divine blessing!"
Lin Heng grumbled inwardly.
Oh, Mother, the one who bestowed that divine blessing wasn't some ancestor. It was the son in your belly!