I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 840 Shun

After many trials and tribulations, Zhang Chen had not rested since separating from the Queen Mother of the West.

For a full month, Zhang Chen's golden body went limp, until the Biyun Niangniang's womb showed signs of pregnancy, at which point their torment finally stopped.

In the alchemy room

Zhang Chen rubbed his aching lower back, slowly got up and put on his clothes. Even if he had cultivated an invincible body, he couldn't withstand a month without rest.

Over there, Lady Biyun lay on the ground, her eyes fixed on Zhang Chen, her body already melting into spring water: "Husband!"

Biyun Niangniang's voice was very gentle, but it was full of worry.

The two locked eyes, and Zhang Chen quickly turned to help Lady Biyun put on her clothes, a look of seriousness in his eyes: "You don't need to say anything, I know what you're going to say."

As Zhang Chen spoke, he looked at Lady Biyun's abdomen, and he could feel the life force growing within it.

Biyun Niangniang shut her mouth, but looked at Zhang Chen with a worried expression. Zhang Chen remained silent for a long time before saying, "Even if you have a child, the child may not inherit my constitution, so there will be no danger."

Lady Biyun's eyes were full of worry: "I'm afraid the child will suffer for you. It would be too much of a torment for him to be born with such a painful punishment."

Zhang Chen fell silent upon hearing this, his mind racing with countless thoughts. After a moment, he said, "You don't need to worry. I have my own plans. The Queen Mother of the West still needs me to do something, and she certainly won't harm our child."

Lady Biyun didn't say much, but a hint of worry was hidden in her eyes.

Time flies, and Zhang Chen and Biyun Niangniang were no ordinary people. The child already had vitality in the womb. During this time, the Queen Mother of the West sent countless elixirs and medicines to nourish the child, which resulted in Zhang Chen's child being born after a full three years of pregnancy.

"My lord, it's a boy." Lady Biyun held the baby boy in her arms, her eyes looking at the infant's tender and pitiful face, a hint of joy appearing in her eyes.

"Let's name the child?" Lady Biyun asked Zhang Chen.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Chen said, "How about naming her 'Shun'?"

“Shun?” Lady Biyun was taken aback.

"I just hope he grows up peacefully and smoothly throughout his life," Zhang Chen said.

Upon hearing this, Lady Biyun nodded: "Alright! Let's call it Shun!"

Shun's birth brought an unprecedented warmth and vitality to the alchemy room, but Biyun Niangniang always had a worry on her face.

Zhang Chen looked at Shun with a serious expression, as if he was pondering something. After a long while, he said to Biyun Niangniang, "I have a supernatural power that might provide Shun with an extra layer of protection. However, this is the territory of the Queen Mother of the West. If there is any disturbance, it will surely alert the Queen Mother of the West..."

Zhang Chen had long planned for this: the Reincarnation Mark. If he could secretly imprint the Reincarnation Mark on Shun's soul, even if Shun suffered calamities in the future, Zhang Chen would have a chance to make amends.

Hearing this, Lady Biyun knew Zhang Chen's thoughts, so she said, "The bottom of that medicine furnace contains the power of the Heaven-Opening Fire Spirit, which can evade the detection of the Queen Mother of the West. It is a blind spot for the Queen Mother of the West's detection."

Zhang Chen carried Shun and walked towards the alchemy furnace. As he arrived at the furnace, his supernatural power circulated within him, and the Reincarnation Mark condensed in his hand before being placed between Shun's eyebrows.

Although the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc was not by his side, the authority of the Six Paths of Reincarnation was always in his grasp. Moreover, the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation was extremely secretive, and once it was integrated into the cycle of reincarnation, it was impossible to detect.

After applying the brand, Zhang Chen breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Lady Biyun, and after a slight hesitation, said, "Come here."

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to trust Lady Biyun, but now that the two have a child together, they are bound by cause and effect, and Lady Biyun is worth the risk.

Biyun Niangniang arrived at the alchemy furnace. Zhang Chen's Samsara Mark swirled in his hand, and the hazy Samsara Mark was placed on Biyun Niangniang's brow before disappearing without a trace.

"It seems you still have many secrets." Lady Biyun looked at Zhang Chen, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen sighed softly: "In this world, who can be without a few secrets?"

Biyun Niangniang remained silent, simply carrying Shun as she walked out from under the alchemy furnace. Looking at the empty medicine hall, she said, "Being born in Kunlun is like being a bird trapped in a cage; it is the greatest misfortune for him."

Zhang Chen stepped out from the bottom of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and fell silent upon hearing this. After a long while, he said, "Wait a little longer! There will be an opportunity."

Biyun Niangniang glanced at Zhang Chen, but didn't say anything more. She simply sat there and took the pills.

Three more years have passed.

Biyun Niangniang was refining elixirs, while Zhang Chen was cultivating, sitting beside her and observing the herbs. For the past three years, Zhang Chen had been diligently cultivating, appearing to outsiders to meditate and cultivate day and night without a moment's rest.

Suddenly, a streak of light flashed, and the Queen Mother of the West appeared in the alchemy room. "Greetings, Your Majesty." Zhang Chen quickly bowed respectfully, and Biyun Niangniang also hurriedly pulled him along to do the same.

"Come here!" The Queen Mother of the West looked at Shun and gently beckoned him over.

Zhang Chen and Lady Biyun were visibly shocked, but dared not interrupt or stop them.

"Who are you?" Shun raised his head, revealing his round face, looking at the Queen Mother of the West with a youthful and fearless expression.

"This is the Queen Mother of the West! Kneel down and pay your respects immediately!" Zhang Chen shouted hastily.

"Don't frighten the child." The Queen Mother of the West scolded Zhang Chen, then came to Shun's side and gently stroked Shun's head: "What a good child."

A bolt of lightning flashed from his fingertip, and a faint bolt of lightning entered Shun's body. The next moment, Shun's eyes rolled back, and he was knocked unconscious by the lightning.

"Your Majesty..." Zhang Chen hurriedly called out anxiously.

The Queen Mother of the West stopped what she was doing and looked at Shun with a grim expression: "He did not inherit your physique. It seems that your physique, which is not afraid of lightning punishment, cannot be inherited."

"Please have mercy, Your Majesty! I will definitely work hard to cultivate. Shun is still a child, and he is innocent," Zhang Chen pleaded, prostrating himself on the ground.

The Queen Mother of the West ignored Zhang Chen and instead looked at the unconscious little fellow who smelled burnt. She produced a pill in her hand and put it into Shun's mouth: "This pill can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded. Even if he were dead, I could revive him. Why are you all so nervous?"

Upon hearing this, sweat trickled down Zhang Chen's forehead. The Queen Mother of the West glanced at Zhang Chen and said, "From now on, this little fellow will cultivate by my side. You should cultivate diligently, otherwise your son will take your place in the future."

After speaking, the Queen Mother of the West embraced Shun and transformed into a stream of light, leaving Zhang Chen and Lady Biyun standing silently in the main hall.

"What should we do?" Lady Biyun looked at Zhang Chen, her eyes filled with helplessness.

Zhang Chen didn't speak, but walked to the alchemy furnace and looked at Lady Biyun. Lady Biyun came to the furnace and looked at Zhang Chen with anxious eyes.

"How much do you know about peach trees?" Zhang Chen asked.

"The peach trees are planted in the Peach Orchard, guarded by golden-armored generals. It is the most important place in the entire Kunlun Mountain." Lady Biyun looked at Zhang Chen, wondering why he brought up the peaches.

"What about inside the Peach Garden? Are you familiar with it?" Zhang Chen asked.

“Of course I’m familiar with it. Years ago, I managed the Peach Orchard for the Queen Mother of the West, and I was responsible for harvesting the peaches every year. There were a total of nine thousand peach trees in the orchard, divided into three-thousand-year-old peaches, six-thousand-year-old peaches, and nine-thousand-year-old peaches, with three thousand trees of each type. Are you perhaps eyeing the Peach Orchard?” Lady Biyun looked at Zhang Chen, her voice full of caution.

"You must not have such thoughts. The Peach Garden is guarded by innate beings and is definitely not something you can detect."

"The strongman guarding the Peach Garden is said to have reached the realm of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, making him the most powerful cultivator in Kunlun Mountain besides the Queen Mother of the West," Lady Biyun repeatedly instructed Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen was disappointed upon hearing this; it seemed he couldn't touch the Peach Garden.

Zhang Chen took out the pits of the two peaches from under the alchemy furnace, then a strange light appeared in his eyes: "Are you sure this place can't be discovered by the Queen Mother of the West?"

“I’m sure!” said Lady Biyun. “Deep within the Kunlun Mountains, there is a Heaven-Opening Fire Spirit sealed. Although its cultivation is not as high as that of the Queen Mother of the West, it can still interfere with her power. The power of that Heaven-Opening Fire Spirit goes straight to the bottom of the alchemy furnace. This place is one of the most hidden places in the entire Kunlun Mountains.”

Upon hearing Biyun Niangniang's words, Zhang Chen stopped asking questions and instead looked down at the peach pit in his hand, a glint of green light in his eyes: 'Decree, sprout and take root!'

As the Wood element power was activated, the peach pit in his hand trembled slightly, emitting rays of green light. However, the next moment, all the green light disappeared, and the peach pit remained motionless in his hand.

At this moment, a message entered Zhang Chen's mind from the darkness: "The innate spiritual root is unique. The nine thousand peach trees are a fixed number. As long as the nine thousand peach trees are not damaged, no other peach trees will grow in the world. Unless one peach tree is destroyed one day, Zhang Chen can command the peach pit in his hand to take root and sprout."

“No wonder the Queen Mother of the West didn’t care about the peach pits spilling out; it’s because none of the peach pits can take root.” Zhang Chen’s eyes showed a thoughtful expression as he quietly sent the peach pit into the Ascension Pool.

If this world cannot produce peaches of immortality on its own, then what about the other world?

"My lord, you should focus on your cultivation. Don't take any shortcuts. If you anger the Queen Mother of the West, things could get very bad for us," said Lady Biyun, her voice filled with worry.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen sighed softly, "I understand. I will do my best to solve all the problems. Don't worry, everything will end with me and will not involve our child."

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he sighed inwardly. He had originally planned to grow a peach tree, but now he thought better of it and decided to collect peach pits first.

At worst, I can go back to the present and try again myself.

(End of this chapter)