Giving Birth But Not Raising, Why Are You Crying Now That I’ve Become an Immortal Emperor? - Chapter 6 - Chapter 6 – Eight-Year-Old Golden Core, The Empress Is Stunned! What a Genius

In the ruined village, Ye Chang, who had arrived at high speed, led Qin Yao, his face dark and furrowed, carefully searching through the area.

Every time his gaze fell upon the remnants of broken limbs and spilled blood, his eyes twitched violently, and his expression grew more grim, his demeanor becoming as heavy and somber as the water.

Bloodstains covered the ground, and no signs of life remained. His son had just been born, with his innate spiritual energy still present. It was exactly what those bloodthirsty, brutal demon beasts most craved. Judging by the situation, it seemed highly unlikely that his son had escaped.

But after a thorough inspection for a while, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and he murmured, “Based on the residual aura here, the demon beast that attacked the village must at least be a major demon at the Soul Transformation Realm.”

“This is impossible… There has never been an incident of demon beasts invading this village, let alone a major demon at the Soul Transformation Realm.”

Qin Yao silently followed behind him, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She could no longer bear to look at the grim scene around them and spoke in a sorrowful voice, “Ye Chang, we were too heartless. He was our own flesh and blood.”

“He was so small. To watch that great demon come for him… he must have felt so hopeless.”

As she spoke, more tears fell from her eyes, and she covered her lips with a trembling hand, her face filled with sorrow. “At that moment, he must have hated us—his useless parents.”

“Leaving him in this mountain village… and then suffering this fate.”

Hearing her words, Ye Chang’s steps faltered, and he stood frozen in place. He clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes filled with pain, and he said nothing for a long time.

When he thought of the joy he felt when his son was born, it paled in comparison to the torment he felt now. Only after losing him did he realize how precious his son had been, but by then, it was too late.

Both of them were filled with immense regret. Their decision had been so hasty, costing them the life of their own flesh and blood.

Now, in the wake of this tragedy, they suddenly realized that as parents, they had failed their child and had not taken any responsibility.

After a long period of silence, Ye Chang suddenly thought of something. He turned to Qin Yao and asked urgently, “Yao’er, after we left our son here, didn’t you give him a protective jade pendant?”

“The pendant had your spiritual energy on it. If the child were in danger, it should have triggered the protection.”

“Have you sensed anything from the pendant in the past few days?”

Qin Yao was stunned. When she had first arrived and seen the devastating scene in the village, her heart had been overwhelmed, and in her frantic search for her son, she had not thought to check the pendant. But now, Ye Chang’s words reminded her.

“Chang Ge, the pendant is still intact!”

“If it had shattered, I would have sensed it!”

With that thought, a gleam of light appeared in Qin Yao’s eyes. She looked up at Ye Chang, her voice trembling, “Maybe… our son is still alive.”

Ye Chang nodded slowly, though with a hint of uncertainty. “Perhaps… our son is still alive.”

“Ha…” Qin Yao stood frozen for a moment. Her expression changed as hope, though faint, began to rise in her heart.

Despite knowing that the hope was slim, she said firmly, “Chang Ge, I want to find him.”

Ye Chang sighed inwardly and then looked into her red eyes. His tone grew more resolute, “Don’t worry. I will search for our son with all my strength. We will find him.”

But deep inside, he still regretted his earlier decision. He had been out of his mind when he sent their child away to be fostered. If only he had taken him back to the palace, acknowledged him, and raised him there. Perhaps then, none of this would have happened.

Now, their son was gone, and they didn’t even know whether he was alive or dead.

If the old man ever found out what had happened… Ye Chang couldn’t even imagine the consequences.

…

In the grand palace of the Great Chu Empire…

[You observe a crane soaring through the sky, its formation cutting through the air. You comprehend the Dao of flight, mastering the skill “Crane Soaring Technique,” reaching perfection.]

[You observe a fish curling through the water, drifting with the current. You grasp the rhythm of the water’s flow, mastering the skill “Fish Spiraling Technique,” reaching perfection.]

[You observe a spirit cat hunting with agility, its movements elusive. You comprehend the way of the secret strike, mastering the skill “Soul Piercing Strike,” reaching perfection.]

In Ye Lingyun’s daily meditations, time passed quickly, the years slipping away in the blink of an eye.

Spring and autumn passed, the flowers bloomed and withered, and in a flash, eight years had passed.

Under the care of the Empress Chu Xi and her attendant Xue Yi, Ye Lingyun grew up without a care in the world.

Now, he had grown from a tiny infant into a handsome little boy.

His face, still youthful, was full of vitality, his eyes bright and sharp, exuding an air of confidence. He was tall and slender, wearing a simple yet elegant blue robe that added to his regal demeanor.

In the stone pavilion in the palace’s rear garden, he sat across from Empress Chu Xi, playing a game of chess, while Xue Yi quietly stood at the side.

The breeze carried a delicate fragrance, gently lifting the hem of Chu Xi’s dress, revealing a glimpse of her graceful figure.

Beneath her golden gown, her long, graceful legs were a perfect sight, her feet, bare and smooth, like fine jade—flawless and pure.

Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, and she rested her chin on her delicate hand, her eyes lowered as she focused on the chessboard, a faint frown crossing her brow, showing signs of frustration.

Across from her, Ye Lingyun sat calmly, his expression serene. With his remarkable talent, he had already perfected his chess skills years ago. Now, in the game, he was far beyond any challenger. If he weren’t so modest, he might already be known as the “Little Chess Sage of Great Chu.”

In contrast, facing Empress Chu Xi was no challenge for him.

Chu Xi thought hard for a while, then took a black piece and moved it on the board, but before letting it go, she pulled it back.

“No, this won’t work either.”

She stared at the board, clearly conflicted. After a moment, she finally made her move.

But it was all in vain.

Ye Lingyun moved immediately after, hardly giving it a second thought, and then smiled as he spoke, “You’ve lost.”

Chu Xi stared at the board, pouting, her brows furrowing as if in frustration. “I’m not playing anymore. I’m not playing.”

“You little brat… You’re so good at this.”

Casually tossing the chess piece in her hand, Chu Xi stretched lazily. Without meaning to, she revealed a seductive curve that stirred the imagination.

Then, she stood up slowly, bare feet gliding across the floor, and walked over to Ye Lingyun.

Still somewhat upset about her earlier crushing defeat in the game, Chu Xi pouted her red lips and reached out, playfully messing with Ye Lingyun’s hair. She didn’t stop until she saw him slightly furrow his brows, then she smiled brightly, clearly pleased. “Hee hee…”

“Hehehe…”

In an instant, her radiant smile lit up the area, making the surrounding flowers pale in comparison.

Chu Xi lowered her body slowly, her tight-fitting golden robe outlining her slender waist. Her phoenix eyes held a teasing glint as she leaned close to Ye Lingyun, her breath like orchids as she softly asked, “Hehe, little one, since you won the game against me, what reward do you want from your sister?”

The elegant and noble Empress of Great Chu, rare to show such a charming and bewitching demeanor in front of anyone, in that moment, radiated an overwhelming allure, making the air around them thick with temptation.

In response to her playful actions, Ye Lingyun sighed inwardly and helplessly pursed his lips, standing up and moving away.

But as a fragrant breeze swept by, Chu Xi’s figure flashed and followed him closely, sticking to him, her arm casually draping around his.

After a few years of growth, Ye Lingyun had reached the height of Chu Xi’s chest.

Standing side by side, the boy appeared handsome and heroic, while the woman was breathtakingly beautiful. They were like a perfect match, exuding a youthful and vibrant energy.

Chu~

The two bodies pressed closely together, with Chu Xi hugging Ye Lingyun’s arm. Unable to resist, she planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, leaving a faint, ambiguous mark.

“I want to practice martial arts,” Ye Lingyun said.

By now, he was accustomed to the sudden, occasional kisses, and he remained unperturbed, merely glancing at the beauty beside him.

“Practice martial arts?” Chu Xi raised her brow in surprise, releasing her grip on his arm and standing to one side, sizing him up as she gently asked, “What realm are you at now?”

Ye Lingyun calmly responded, “Almost at the Golden Core stage.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Xi gasped in surprise, her gaze turning strange.

At eight years old, the Golden Core.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, when I was eight, I was still in the back garden, carefree, catching butterflies to play with.

Truly, this talent is terrifying.

However, the higher Ye Lingyun’s talent, and the faster his cultivation, the more pleasing it was to her.

Without hesitation, Chu Xi smiled and nodded, agreeing to his request.

“Alright, starting tomorrow, Xue Yi will teach you martial arts.”

“Xue Yi, this task is yours.”

Upon hearing this command, Xue Yi quickly stepped forward, responding respectfully.

She was also secretly amazed at the extraordinary talent Ye Lingyun was displaying.

Such exceptional talent—no wonder Her Majesty had already decided to bring him into the palace. Truly, an eye like a torch.

…

Later that night, in the quiet room, Ye Lingyun sat cross-legged, practicing alone.

Around him, several stacks of books were piled up, many of the pages yellowing with age, clearly preserved for a long time.

At this moment, he was engrossed in one of them.

[You read the Confucian classics, seeking truth to benefit the world, and you comprehend the righteous aura.]

[You read the Buddhist and Taoist scriptures, contemplating reincarnation to save all beings, and you understand the Great Compassion Mantra.]

[You read the Taiping Dao texts, observing the grand order of nature, and you comprehend the essence of freedom.]

Ye Lingyun’s reading was wide-ranging—he explored the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist scriptures, all the classical texts stored within the Great Chu Imperial Palace.

With his exceptional talent, deciphering these seemingly obscure ancient texts was not difficult for him. A single touch of understanding opened up new connections, and as he flipped through them one by one, his progress was rapid.

As he focused on the books, a profound, mysterious feeling suddenly rose from his heart.

His cultivation, which had been stagnant for some time, began to slowly progress.

Buzz—

A faint humming sound emanated from his body, and the spiritual energy within him slowly diffused and circulated, ultimately converging in his dantian.

As the light flickered, a smooth and flawless Golden Core slowly began to take shape in his dantian.

According to what Ye Lingyun knew, there were five grades of Golden Cores: ordinary, spiritual, supreme, holy, and immortal.

Typically, when a person reaches the Golden Core stage, they would only form an ordinary Golden Core, which would produce a single phenomenon upon condensation.

However, the more advanced Golden Cores, like spiritual and supreme quality, would also only produce one phenomenon upon formation.

These higher-quality Golden Cores would give the cultivator a stronger boost and have more profound effects.

A Holy-grade Golden Core would produce two phenomena, a rare occurrence.

An Immortal-grade Golden Core would produce three phenomena. Those who could condense such a Golden Core were incredibly rare, usually only Daoist disciples or Buddhist monks could achieve this.

As for Ye Lingyun, his dantian was already in upheaval.

“Whoo!!!”

Spiritual energy surged like a tidal wave, scattering around him, forming lotus blossoms around his Golden Core, mystifying and profound.

Looking closely, his flawless Golden Core’s surface was clearly divided into five distinct areas. This meant that the Golden Core he had condensed could produce five phenomena, surpassing even an Immortal-grade Golden Core.

If others were to know of this, they would be utterly shocked.

In this world, no one had ever heard of a Golden Core that could produce five phenomena—such power was terrifying.

At this moment, as Ye Lingyun meditated, the sound of Buddhist chants filled the air. Infinite Taoist energy spiraled around him, and the righteous aura surged, the golden symbols flickered, and the lotus blossoms bloomed.

The five phenomena intertwined, creating an awe-inspiring and oppressive force.

After meditating for a long time, Ye Lingyun slowly opened his eyes. His pupils, as black as ink, shimmered with golden light, and a trace of joy appeared on his face.

Golden Core Realm, Third Stage!

Having successfully condensed this Golden Core, surpassing the Immortal grade, it immediately elevated his cultivation to the Third Stage of the Golden Core realm.

This was an unexpected delight.

Now, the Great Chu Empire was not at peace. Duke Wuyou was stirring up trouble, and the border conflicts with the demon race were ongoing. He needed to grow stronger to protect himself.

And, of course, there were his parents. He worked hard to grow stronger, hoping that one day he could make his parents regret abandoning him.

When the day came to stand before them again, they would see his boundless Daoist power and extraordinary talent. He wondered what their reaction would be.