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Chapter 92: A Promising Future
🕑 Added 2025-05-13 04:01:11 +0000 UTCXi Yunqing glanced at him in surprise, not expecting Chen Xiao to be interested in such matters. However, maintaining his tolerant and friendly attitude, he took the time to explain it to him.
In this world, the proportion of cultivators who marry and have children is not insignificant. However, these individuals typically marry when their cultivation is still relatively low, such as during the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages. This is likely due to the fact that with the extension of their lifespan, female cultivators' chances of having children decrease as their cultivation level rises. For a couple of cultivators who wish to have children, if they miss the periods where conception is easier, during Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages, the chances in the Nascent Soul stage are still possible, but by the Out-of-Body stage, the chance becomes negligible. By the Integration stage, it's almost a lost cause, and they should abandon the idea entirely.
Chen Xiao thought about it for a moment. Since Xi Yunqing mentioned that this phenomenon was related to the extension of a woman's lifespan and the improvement in cultivation, he wondered if it was similar to how, for ordinary people, women might still have extended lifespans but would still face certain physiological limits. Even though they maintain youthful appearances, their ability to conceive could have already ended.
This was a question that only a cultivator could answer. If he asked someone like Tong Nuonuo or others who focused solely on cultivation, they wouldn't have an answer. However, Xi Yunqing, who had no friends in the Immortal Sect and spent his free time reading, knew a great deal about obscure knowledge.
Seeing that Chen Xiao was genuinely curious, Xi Yunqing decided to share everything he knew to prevent Chen Xiao from drawing the wrong conclusions.
It turned out that after a woman cultivator's body improves and her lifespan extends, her physiological cycle also lengthens. After the Foundation Establishment stage, a female cultivator's menstrual cycle becomes more stable, though it shifts from monthly to quarterly. By the Golden Core stage, the cycle becomes half a year, and in the Nascent Soul stage, it becomes a year. In the Out-of-Body stage, it extends to several years, and by the Integration stage, a female cultivator enters what could be called menopause, and no further menstruation occurs.
Xi Yunqing explained this with the same meticulous attention to detail that he applied to everything, speaking without flinching as he shared this sensitive knowledge about women's bodies. Thanks to him, Chen Xiao listened as if he were attending a lecture on science.
As Chen Xiao absorbed this information, he recalled a science program he had once watched during his previous life when he was bedridden and watching television. He vaguely remembered that when a female fetus is in the mother's womb, the number of eggs she has is at its peak, nearly several million. However, as she grows, the number of eggs decreases, gradually disappearing. By the time a woman matures and has her first period, she only has several hundred thousand eggs left. This number continues to decline throughout her life, and by the end, a woman will only release four to five hundred eggs during her lifetime. What had stuck with him about this number was that he had once thought that if all a woman's eggs turned into children, she would be the mother of four to five hundred children. He had been deeply awed by this idea, which stayed with him even across worlds.
If the women in this world also only release four to five hundred eggs in their lifetime, it would indeed explain why the reproductive cycle of cultivators lengthens as their cultivation improves. A normal woman's fertile age spans from her teenage years to her forties, with a monthly ovulation. If female cultivators didn't lengthen their cycle, the eggs would be consumed before reaching the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages.
It seemed that this world followed certain natural laws. With extended life came various sacrifices, and one of the costs for women was a reduced chance of reproduction.
Xi Yunqing then mentioned the situation with Han Yuan's couple. In addition to the effects of cultivation, there may also be factors related to the Han family's bloodline. From what he knew, the Han family had few descendants, with only two or three children per household. Originally, apart from Han Yuan's only son who had died, there had been other young members of collateral branches who had been severely injured in a fight, which had dealt a heavy blow to the already sparse population of the Han family. No wonder the Han family harbored such deep resentment toward the Chang family.
Hearing this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but worry. Would he be able to resolve the conflict between the two families and solve the Han family's problem?
Ever since Chen Xiao learned that Han Yuan's couple wished for children, he had thought about the precious land in Chang Family Village. When he was looking for a feng shui spot, he had noticed that the location had an excellent energy flow that could boost the family’s prosperity. If the Han family built a house on that land and lived there for a while, making it their main residence, Chen Xiao was confident that he could help Han Yuan’s couple with their dilemma. However, now that the Han family harbored such hatred for the Chang family, if he revealed that the land belonged to the descendants of the Chang family, Han Yuanchun would probably gather people to attack them immediately. To make this plan work, the conflict between the families would have to be resolved first.
Unconsciously, Chen Xiao furrowed his brow. Xi Yunqing noticed and asked, "Why the long face, Xiao?"
Chen Xiao snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "Big Brother, if there were something that could change the Han family's issue with having few children and bring prosperity to their lineage from now on, do you think they would let go of their hatred and forgive the Chang family?"
Xi Yunqing pondered for a moment and asked, "Does this have to do with the land in Chang Family Village you discovered, the one that caused the beasts to act strangely?"
Chen Xiao admired Xi Yunqing's sharpness and nodded. "Yes. That place is a feng shui spot. If they build their main house there, following the proper guidelines, it will certainly change their fate of having few descendants."
Xi Yunqing paused and asked, "How confident are you in this?"
Chen Xiao hesitated. If it were in his previous life, as a feng shui master, he would have said with certainty that it was guaranteed. But in this world, he was barely an apprentice, relying on his old foundation and vague understanding of this world’s feng shui to practice. Considering his half-baked skills, it was audacious of him to offer feng shui advice to someone in the Out-of-Body stage.
He gave a self-deprecating smile but ultimately didn’t dare to make any guarantees. Conservatively, he said to Xi Yunqing, “I’m confident about six or seven parts.”
Xi Yunqing replied, “I’ll speak to City Lord Han about this matter.”
Chen Xiao looked at him in surprise and asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll mess things up?”
Xi Yunqing smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curving slightly. “Didn’t you say you were six or seven parts sure? That’s more than enough. I believe you won’t mess it up.”
Given Xi Yunqing’s status, Han Yuanchun wouldn’t brush him off, and it was a matter of placing his own credibility on the line. Being trusted like this made Chen Xiao’s chest feel warm. A lump seemed to form in his throat, making his voice unsteady as he spoke quietly, “Big Brother…” His eyes suddenly grew moist, as if he were experiencing that warmth and security for the first time, like when Fang Gu had once pressed his head and assured him he wouldn’t be abandoned.
Chen Xiao took a moment to steady his emotions, and after calming his voice, he said, “Thank you, Big Brother. But for this matter, I have my own plans. I need to make some preparations. It’s not the right time to speak to City Lord Han just yet.” Even with Xi Yunqing’s endorsement and recommendation, others, even the village chief of Changjia Village, didn’t take his words seriously. How could someone like Han Yuanchun, a higher-level cultivator, pay attention to him? Rather than drag Xi Yunqing into speaking on his behalf, he thought it would be better to have City Lord Han come to him first.
Xi Yunqing, somewhat confused, noticed that Chen Xiao had seemed concerned earlier, but now he had suddenly relaxed. He didn’t know that in Chen Xiao’s heart, his position had only grown deeper, and now Chen Xiao was more concerned with Xi Yunqing’s feelings than with his own urgency to cultivate. Xi Yunqing could only say, “Since you call me Big Brother, you can ask me for help anytime.” Chen Xiao smiled and nodded, and the conversation naturally came to an end. Xi Yunqing, though reluctant, stood up and said, “Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow’s training can’t be delayed. We’ll continue with your training after that.”
Chen Xiao felt a pang in his heart at the thought of resuming the hellish training routine. The brief day of rest he had barely enjoyed was already over.
The place they were staying at was much closer than Mount Building Residence. After breakfast and some digestion, Chen Xiao walked to the flower corridor. The soft pink petals had fallen all over the ground from last night’s autumn breeze, creating what looked like a pink carpet, romantic and beautiful. Chen Xiao couldn’t bring himself to step on it.
When Xi Yunqing arrived, he found Chen Xiao standing there, staring down with a distant look in his eyes. He asked, “Chen Xiao, not feeling well?”
Chen Xiao snapped back to reality, turning to Xi Yunqing with a smile. “No, I rested well last night.” Xi Yunqing relaxed, nodding slightly. “Then let’s go.”
Xi Yunqing completely ignored the pink petals on the ground, seeing only the mess they made. As he led the way toward the training grounds, Chen Xiao, who had wanted to muse over the romantic scene, fell silent. His big brother was probably someone with no sense of romance, practical to the core.
The training ground assigned to them by Chief Steward Han was the closest one, just through the flower corridor and around a corner. It was entirely enclosed, exactly what Xi Yunqing had wanted. The walls surrounded it, and once the gates were closed, no one from outside could peek in. Unless they climbed the wall or looked from a distant high point. But Chief Steward Han had already given strict orders that anyone caught spying wouldn’t need Xi Yunqing to intervene, there were harsh family rules for such offenses.
Chen Xiao completed a basic set of exercises under Xi Yunqing’s watchful gaze, followed by more advanced movements he had learned previously. Indeed, training couldn’t be delayed for a single day. Just yesterday, he had been on the road in the morning, then accompanying Tong Nuonuo in the warehouse in the afternoon, with no time for practice. As a result, he could feel his movements were sluggish. This reminded him to never let his guard down again, and to never neglect his training.
Xi Yunqing, standing to the side, watched with approval as Chen Xiao completed all the exercises he had taught him. Internally, he nodded. Though Chen Xiao was the only one he had trained, Xi Yunqing could tell that his will was unyielding and his character particularly steady. If he continued at this pace, he would surely achieve remarkable progress in cultivation.
Training him personally gave Xi Yunqing a great sense of accomplishment. Moreover, Chen Xiao’s progress and the promising future ahead filled Xi Yunqing with joy and pride. This was his friend, and naturally, he hoped they could accompany each other on their journey of cultivation without parting ways.
