From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 353 The River God's Fetus

The Flower Elder is depicted as a lame old man adorned with hibiscus hairpins, leaning on a peach wood cane, with a flower basket woven with colorful threads hanging from his waist.

He was a banyan tree that attained enlightenment and was conferred the title of deity. He used flower baskets to guide the reincarnation of wandering souls, and the dew-collecting copper bottle at his waist could collect morning dew for pregnant women to drink, which could avert miscarriage.

Although he was not very skilled in the art of conceiving, he was proficient in the methods of calming the soul and securing the fetus.

He had hoped that he could offer some help with Jiang Shen's difficult childbirth, but unexpectedly, he also failed to achieve his goal.

“This fetus is extraordinary… My flower spirit and dew have been completely absorbed. If I were to forcefully assist it further, I fear even my divine authority would be devoured.”

The old man's face was pale, and he shook his head slightly.

From the very beginning, he used a copper bottle to draw out the morning dew, intending to transform it into a spiritual spring to be poured into the body of the river god and harmonize the fetal essence.

However, the fetus of the river god was unusually greedy and devoured all the morning dew.

No matter how much he poured in, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, swallowed up completely by that invisible force.

If he hadn't forcibly stopped it, his own divine position would probably have been damaged.

"The fetus that Your Majesty is carrying... is truly extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, everyone could only look at each other in bewilderment.

Several of the gods had already tried, but none of them had succeeded.

The fetus seemed to be welded to Jiang Shen's body, constantly drawing on Jiang Shen's power and making Jiang Shen unable to control his own power.

And once the external power of these gods is introduced, it will be devoured by the fetus.

They were completely helpless.

They doubted that the fetus would drain all of the mother's energy before being born.

That's way too domineering. This isn't a divine fetus anymore; it's clearly a demonic fetus, a ghostly fetus.

However, no one dared to say this.

Not only because the River Goddess is a third-rank deity, but more importantly, the father of this fetus is a powerful deity in the Heavenly Realm.

Just as everyone was talking, the old man who had just entered the main hall staggered out and almost fell.

"Master Shi!"

Someone quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Shi Gong is in charge of praying for offspring on reefs, protecting the children of fishermen and Tanka people so they can give birth safely. His divine power is also of great help to aquatic creatures, and can bless a region of the sea with a bountiful harvest.

The River Goddess was definitely a member of the aquatic race, but she did not expect that when she used her divine power to pray for the fetus, she would be hit by a strong malicious force that directly shattered her divine power and even tore apart the fishing net she carried with her.

"Please come in, Granny Pomegranate. Her Majesty invites you in."

After a while, the clam woman came out again and called in the middle-aged peasant woman who was holding a pomegranate. This woman was the highest-ranking person present, a fifth-rank official.

"Furthermore, by the decree of the Empress, Hua Weng and Shi Gong are to be rewarded with a bushel of pearls, ten crystals, and a piece of golden blood coral, as a token of gratitude for their hard work."

The clam maiden turned her head and slowly spoke to the old man and the stone man.

The two deities were somewhat excited and bowed slightly. Although they said they were ashamed, they still put away all the treasures.

"Your Majesty's kindness is as vast as the sea. May Heaven bless Your Majesty so that you can give birth safely."

Shi Gong was deeply moved. He hadn't been able to help much in the end, yet the Empress had bestowed such a favor upon him. She was truly kind and benevolent.

The clam-woman took it all in, but found it all amusing.

As expected of people from the local area, they were so excited by such a small reward.

The Empress is truly kind-hearted. All the gods, whether or not they can help her, will eventually receive a substantial reward. No wonder so many inexplicable gods come to join in the fun; isn't it all for this little bonus?

...A short while later, Granny Pomegranate also came out.

Although she holds the highest divine rank, she is even more adept at bestowing children. In the regions she protects, descendants prosper and enjoy many children and blessings.

But when it comes to difficult childbirth, she has no better solution.

After going in for a while, she realized she had underestimated the difficulty and gave up after a few attempts.

Seeing that even the fifth-rank Pomegranate Granny had failed, everyone's mood became slightly somber.

Over the next half day, one deity after another tried to cure Jiang Shen, but none of them succeeded.

"You Ming, Director of the Department of Fertility, Your Majesty requests your presence."

As You Ming saw more and more gods fail, he gradually became less confident. He didn't think he was any more capable than the other gods in terms of divine authority.

However, he also had cheat codes.

"Hopefully the cheat code will work in the end."

You Ming muttered to himself, then followed the clam maiden and strode into the main hall.

Deep within the main hall, the water shimmered like a mirror, and a misty haze enveloped the surrounding area.

After lifting the curtain of water, his breath hitched slightly as he looked at the enormous figure before him.

The upper body of this figure was that of a woman of noble bearing, with skin as clear as jade and eyes like the rising moon, extremely beautiful, yet without any vulgar charm, but rather containing the solemnity and coldness of an innate deity.

But her lower body transformed into endless dark blue-green scales, as thick as water vats, with rushing water flowing between the scales. With each gentle sway, the entire water palace trembled, as if the river tide was breathing.

The Goddess of the River leaned against the lotus platform, her snake tail coiled like a mountain, her belly bulging high, yet she was almost out of control due to the intense pain.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and the energy around her was unpredictable, sometimes surging and sometimes suddenly receding, causing the entire Cangyuan River to churn.

"You can stand right here."

You Ming was about to get closer when he was stopped by the clam woman.

The Empress's noble status should not be allowed to be desecrated by these minor deities at close range.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency."

Just as You Ming was about to unleash his divine power, the woman slowly opened her eyes. Her voice was gentle, and even though she was in great pain, a maternal smile still appeared on her lips.

The moment he saw that smile, You Ming even felt an urge to die for it.

Fortunately, he had a strong will and quickly suppressed the impulse.

"excuse me."

You Ming nodded slightly, and then a halo of light appeared in his hand, radiating a gentle yet resilient glow, like the sun.

It is his innate divine duty, the "Tai Guang Qi Yin".

This divine position was not bestowed by the divine way, but rather it was naturally derived from the fusion of the [Contract of Procreation] and [Nurturing All Things], and was also catalyzed by some golden light of merit. Therefore, even though Youming's divine position is low, this divine position is still very powerful.

As the light shone, the Jiang Shen Niangniang's abdomen seemed to become transparent all at once, and one could vaguely see a crimson fetal breath intertwined with the mother's flesh and blood, biting each other, and continuously drawing power from the Jiang Shen's body.

"Crack."

Suddenly, the light wheel in You Ming's hand flickered, as if some power wanted to devour his [Fetal Light Seal]. However, You Ming reacted quickly and immediately withdrew the light.

"How can it be so eerie?"

You Ming was startled. He faced the fetus and felt a power emanating from it that made his heart tremble.

(End of this chapter)