Chapter 2 — Nine Lives as a Living Potion

A soft smile touched my lips as I raised a hand to press against my chest. It felt as though a great, hollow cavern had been torn open within me, through which an unceasing, biting wind howled. This fragile, mortal heart of mine was truly useless. If I still possessed the Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures, I surely would not be suffering such agony. Gazing at the tenuous thread of maternal lineage that bound us together, a sudden, profound apathy washed over me. I no longer wished to save anyone. I only desired to live out a lifetime in the mortal realm, peaceful and joyful. With a sudden, decisive kick, my spirit tore itself free from the physical vessel.

This is bad! The immortal fetus has an overwhelming intent to sever ties! If it is born a stillborn, it will be utterly worthless!

Daoist Master Lingxu roared, reaching out with frantic hands as he tried to claw apart my ninth soul strand. My mother furrowed her brows, casting a look of heavy displeasure in my direction.

Niaoniao! Return at once!

This time, I refused to obey. Opening my mouth wide, I fought desperately, tearing viciously at the blood tie that bound us. Her expression shifted instantly, and she collapsed heavily to her knees.

I implore the Daoist Master to suppress this rebellious child for me, if only for a single moment!

Mother! I have come to aid you!

It was my fourth elder brother who spoke. He had stolen my Heavenly Spiritual Root to fulfill his own immortal aspirations, and now, he sought to use my very own power against me.

This is disastrous! She is resolved to die rather than remain bound to her mother!

As those words fell, tears welled in my mother's eyes. She stared up at my spirit suspended in the air, pleading in a choked whisper:

Niaoniao, I beg you, help your mother one last time.

I clenched my fists tightly, watching her pathetic, supplicating expression. It seemed that back when I had perished trying to save her, she had never once wept for me like this. With a sudden, wide motion, I swallowed the remaining fragments of our shared bloodline into my spiritual core. Deprived of the maternal shackle, my mother could no longer sense my unique presence. Panic and terror seized her as she flailed wildly in the empty air.

Niaoniao! No, my child!

Mother was wrong! Please, come back!

The very instant I broke away from her body, the memories of our past life flooded back into her consciousness like a tidal wave.

Mother remembers that you died to save her! I remember everything now!

She fell hard to the ground, howling in frenzied despair. Freed from the fetters of blood, my spirit swept right through my brothers and sisters.

Ah! My eyes!

Mother! My chest hurts terribly!

Damn it! Shen Niaoniao, what have you done? Why has all my spiritual power vanished!

Cries of agony erupted throughout the great hall. The very same brothers who had moments before demanded I sacrifice myself for the greater good were now groveling on the floor like dogs, weeping for my mercy. Having reclaimed every ounce of power that rightfully belonged to me, my spirit burned with an unmatched, overwhelming might. A dazzling, golden radiance enveloped my entire being. Kneeling on the cold floor, my mother looked up at my radiant form, her face a tangled mask of remorse and desperate hope as she reached out to me. Yet, without a single glance backward, I transformed into a streak of brilliant light and soared away toward the magnificent, towering imperial city. Realizing the destination of my flight, my mother's eyes nearly split from their sockets as she screamed at the top of her lungs:

Niaoniao! Come back! You cannot abandon your mother!

I blocked my ears to her cries, following the fierce, magnetic pull within my heart, and plunged straight into the womb of the Empress who had been praying for an heir.

May the heavens look upon us with pity. For decades upon decades upon the throne, I have remained blessed with no continuation of my bloodline. Here, before the divine, I swear an oath: if a child is granted to me, I shall remit the taxes of all commoners for ten years.

Empress Feng Yunzhao knelt before the sacred idol, her face etched with a desperate yearning. One breath passed. Two breaths passed. She knelt in silence for a full incense stick's duration before the National Master behind her finally dared to take a step forward.

Your Majesty, it would seem the destined affinity has not yet matured.

Perhaps Your Majesty should return to the inner palace and wait patiently for some time...

Before the National Master could finish, the corners of the Empress's eyes suddenly turned red. She staggered weakly to her feet, murmuring under her breath:

All my life, I have lived only to cherish my people.

Then why must the heavens continually thwart me in the bearing of an heir?

With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes, utterly drained of strength, and waved a weary hand.

Leave us, all of you.

At that exact moment, the sacred idol behind her burst into an intensely blinding golden light. The radiant beam shot straight into her lower abdomen. The immense, regal aura of the Phoenix terrified me, causing me to curl inward and recoil. Yet the divine idol gave a gentle nudge from behind, leaving me no path of retreat. I plunged directly into the Empress's womb.

Ah...

The moment I entered, an extraordinarily domineering and scorching torrent of energy enveloped my entire being. Just as I trembled in fear, curling myself into a tight ball, that overwhelming force shifted, transforming into a tender, luminous halo that cradled me safely. The wounds inflicted upon me by Daoist Master Qingxu and Shen Lingxiao began to heal at a visible, astonishing pace. The newly fused Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures and Glazed Eyes stabilized peacefully beneath that nurturing glow. Only then did it dawn on me—the Sacred Fire of the Phoenix was actively nurturing and refining my soul! Seeing the flash of golden light erupting from the altar, the National Master's face drained of color. He frantically retrieved the divining compass from his robes, his fingers flying across it in a frenzy of calculation. The further he calculated, the faster his fingers moved, and the heavier his expression became. Finally, with a resolute motion, he pressed hard into his own middle finger.

The heavens intend to make our dynasty prosper!

Ha ha ha!