After both Sixth Realm cultivators heard about Spiritual cultivation and other information about higher-level Heavens, both Transcendent Cultivators became highly interested. Yasenia pushed at this time, throwing a simple sentence. "To be honest, we are just a few decades from leaving this Solar System and trying to reach for higher-level Heavens."
Ayanduin and Gu Chen paused and simultaneously looked at Yasenia. These two were several thousand years old, so they were naturally as cunning as an old fox. Yasenia's sentence came with a proposal and a question, which both of them understood.
Gu Chen smirked and spoke. "You really are a clever little one, aren't you? Tsk, tsk."
Ayanduin leaned to the side and answered. "Sure. I'll humor you. It's not like I can find a solution for this place. I've been studying the formation for years and never really managed to understand it. I've used Transcendent-Level treasures to recover formations and strengthen them, but all it did was delay the inevitable fate of this World. After more than ten thousand years, I give up."
Ayanduin then looked at Yasenia and raised his eyebrow. "Moreover, you have that thing on me, so I can't really say no to you."
Gu Chen looked between Yasenia and Ayanduin and asked the dragoness. "Right. You have managed to steal almost a third of his wealth. How did you do it? Moreover, it feels like you have him quite… leashed."
Ayanduin rolled his eyes. "Can you not phrase it like that?"
Gu Chen mocked. "Then, don't make it so obvious that they have something on you. Since the second you appeared here, everything has been suspicious. Why would you, who hasn't bothered about what I did for centuries, suddenly show up?"
Clicking his tongue, Ayanduin sighed. "Whatever, whatever. Young people can play however they want."
Yasenia laughed a bit and then looked at Gu Chen, her smirk hidden by the veil. "To answer your question. The simple response is that he underestimated me. I won't go into details for Ayanduin's safety and honor. Lord Gu, if you want to hear it, you'll have to pry it out of Lord Ayanduin's mouth."
Gu Chen sighed. "Sure. I guess I can try to do that. Either way, let's be honest, Yasenia. What is there for me if I follow you on this interstellar journey? I will probably be fighting off the sixth realm threats together with Ayanduin in our little travels. You can't expect me to agree to leave everything I've built here behind just because you mentioned those places that I can't confirm are real."
The dragoness nodded. "You are right on that, Lord Gu. While we have our ways to defend ourselves from sixth realm beings, sixth realm cultivators are a bit trickier because of their intelligence." The dragoness looked at the girls around Gu Chen and smiled enough to show even with her veil. "How about I make it possible for them to have your children?"
Thirty-eight pairs of eyes landed on Yasenia, all of them widening with surprise. Gu Chen frowned and crossed his arms, not being hasty to speak. This was a very important piece of information. After a little while, Gu Chen spoke. "Yasenia, I know you are confident in your words and that you wouldn't spout nonsense just to make me go with you. That's nonsense since you've proven to be very intelligent. Still, let me say this."
Yasenia looked at Lord Gu, her golden slit eyes gazing attentively at him. Gu Chen stated. "I've had people suggest this in the past, but nothing has worked. This is a very sensitive matter, so I've even reached the extremes of killing some of those liars." Lord Gu looked at Yasenia and spoke slowly. "I won't be merciful towards you, do you understand? That statement you just made is significant for me and my women. I will allow you to retract your word now if it is untrue. However, I will take it as a definitive truth if you insist again."
The dragoness spoke after Gu Chen's warning. "The problem with a Cultivator of your level is that your entire body has undergone a tremendous transformation during the sixth tribulation. You become a being that has a higher life rating, so to speak. Your strength has pushed all your bodily functions, including your reproductive organs, beyond mortal limits."
Yasenia was not shy and explained in more detail. "When you try to impregnate your wives, your sperm is just too strong and bursts your wives' eggs. Even if it doesn't, the energy it tries to give the egg is too much, killing it."
Gu Chen looked at Yasenia strangely. "You are quite different in this regard as well."
Yasenia blinked. "Hm? What do you mean?" Looking at the women by Gu Chen's side, she realized that almost all of them had rosy cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed.
The dragoness smiled softly. "I see. Well, I am indeed a bit different from how women traditionally behave. Oh, and don't get me wrong, ladies. Feeling like you are is perfectly fine and feminine. It shows that you take this matter seriously and understand that it is a private matter."
The thirty-seven wives all coughed and tried to recompose themselves. Gu Chen chuckled softly and then looked at Yasenia. "So, taking what you said into account, what's the solution?"
Yasenia summarized them. "You have three of them, Lord Gu. The first one is the most dangerous one but also the most effective one." The dragoness stated. "You just push their cultivation to the sixth realm and then try again. Both of you being in the sixth realm will make it easier to conceive, compared to a sixth realm and fifth realm cultivator pairing."
Gu Chen rolled his eyes. "As if that's possible. Not everyone has the talent to reach the sixth realm. Using that method would force me to lose some of them."
The dragoness nodded. "That's why, while effective, it has too many 'What ifs' to be considered genuinely viable. We want all the madams to have a child, not only chosen ones. The second method is as ridiculous as the first. You cripple your cultivation, and during the crippling, when your cultivation slowly reduces, you can try and impregnate them."
Gu Chen deadpanned and looked at Yasenia with a twitching eyebrow. "Are you messing with me, Yasenia?"
Yasenia laughed faintly. "A little bit~."
Gu Chen sighed. "Okay, shoot the third. I hope this one is more genuine."
The dragoness nodded. "Don't worry, this one is an actual solution. The secret is alchemy. You see, I have a problem similar to yours. My own bloodline is extremely strong. Therefore, to impregnate me, the seed needs to be powerful. One of my wives is similar to me, and while I have managed to impregnate her, she has been unable to impregnate me."
Gu Chen blinked twice. "You actually have another woman like you in your harem? That's surprising. Aren't you concerned that she might try and steal your other lovers?"
Yasenia blinked a few times, confused. "Why would I be concerned? I trust my lovers with my everything. They are my treasures who I pamper and take care of, so I believe that they will never betray me in that way."
Everyone in the room looked at Yasenia with different reactions. Some were admiring, others were emotional, and some looked at Yasenia as if she were too naive. Gu Chen spoke with a sigh. "It is admirable. I honestly would be too worried to trust her completely. Too many years of knowing human nature is enough to doubt even those you consider the closest."
Yasenia hummed. "I can understand that. I am young, I have lived less than a century and have yet to experience many things. However, I am willing to place all my trust since it is the first time. If in the future I am wrong and my trust is betrayed…" Yasenia paused, looking toward the ceiling. "Well, I honestly don't know. I have never placed myself in that position and never will. Only then will I know how I will react."
Seeing Yasenia's thoughtful expression, Kali extended her hand and surrounded Yasenia's, her body slowly releasing a gentle pulse of soothing life energy. "We won't betray you, Yasenia."
Yasenia looked at Kali and smiled softly. "I know, Honey." Then, she looked back at Gu Chen and laughed. "We digressed quite a lot from the subject. Let's return to how to fix these things."
Gu Chen nodded, and the dragoness explained. "If I wanted to, there exists something called a [Fertility Pill]. It is a pill that does, as the name says, manipulate fertility."
Gu Chen raised his eyebrow. "Manipulate? Not increase?"
The dragoness smiled and looked at Kali. The fox woman explained it in a bit more detail. "The [Fertility Pill] is ubiquitous among high-level cultivators, including sixth realm ones and even higher. As Cultivators increase in realm and strength, their fertility goes down. It never disappears, but it becomes exponentially harder to have children." Kali smiled. "What the pill does is manipulate the health of the reproductive cells, either giving them strength or weakening them. This is easy to control, as the pill just needs one ingredient change to go from boosting to weakening."
Gu Chen crossed his arms and asked. "Then, why are you still childless, Yasenia?"
Yasenia smiled. "I am young, Lord Gu. I would love to keep trying without any additional help. I don't want my lover to feel like she needs help to impregnate me. I want her to believe she can do it with her natural strength. So, I will keep trying with her until she is successful, regardless of how long it takes."
Gu Chen smiled. "Admirable. If it weren't because my strength is too different from my wives', I would probably think similarly. In short, this fertility pill can make my reproductive cells weaker, allowing them to… well, successfully complete the impregnation."
Yasenia nodded. "Indeed. While you have advanced to the sixth realm, crossing from mortal to immortal, you still have the ability to impregnate females in the same exact way. Your children will be strong from birth, and that might create some complications on the mother's side. Still, with this pill, you will be undeniably fertile between mortal women that are in the high-level Epoch Core or beyond."
Gu Chen paused. "Huh? High-level and above only?"
Kali explained. "Lord Gu, only beings who use solid-state energy are able to be receptive to you, even when you are weakened. How much of your physical strength must you hold back when interacting with them? Imagine that your reproductive cells need to do the same."
Gu Chen leaned back and sighed. He then looked left and right and spoke. "You've heard them, right? Many of you lack the cultivation realm to do this, even with this solution. So, I will ask you to train a bit harder, okay? I will make sure to support all of you and never give up as long as you don't give up."
The women nodded and answered loudly, their eyes burning with determination. "Yes, Lord Husband!"
They were given a chance. Nothing would come in their way from trying to take advantage of this heaven-sent opportunity.
Gu Chen looked at Yasenia and nodded. "Okay, Yasenia. You've convinced me as well. I am in."
Yasenia bowed to both sixth realm cultivators in an honest and respectful manner. "Junior will make sure that Senior Ayanduin and Senior Gu Chen receive the respect they deserve. As long as you don't betray me, I promise to try my best in that regard."