In the bridal chamber,
Han Li reached out and lifted the red veil from the bride's head, revealing Li Mingmeng's stunningly beautiful face. Her eyes were closed, but her pretty face was flushed with redness, as if she knew what was about to happen.
"Truly the most beautiful woman in Lingjun City."
"This appearance, this figure... she really lives up to her reputation."
Gazing at the eighteen-year-old beauty before him, Han Li thought to himself.
Although he was nearly two hundred years old, his tastes had not changed; who doesn't love a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl?
After that, Han Li blew out a breath, and the oil lamp in the bridal chamber was extinguished.
A night of springtime is worth a thousand gold!
After working hard night and day for half a month, Han Li finally received some good news.
Li Mingmeng was pregnant.
A smile appeared on Han Li's face; it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl, what was important was having a descendant.
He possessed eighth-grade cultivation talent, Li Mingmeng had ninth-grade, and the probability that their first child would possess eighth-grade talent was not low.
Furthermore, he had recently broken through to the Pihai Realm, increasing the likelihood that the new child would have cultivation talent. The child in Li Mingmeng's belly was the first offspring since his breakthrough.
With various buffs stacked up, it should at least be eighth-grade talent, right?
Thinking this, Han Li's anticipation grew even stronger. If the child truly had eighth-grade talent, he would definitely send him to the Sect for cultivation when he turned eight.
Han Li was not indifferent toward his offspring; on the contrary, he tried his best to provide them with the appropriate resources.
Previously he was at the pinnacle of the ninth level of the Innate Realm; he might not have been the first in Lingjun City, but he was definitely in the top three, able to occupy a large amount of resources and wealth.
He had entrusted these resources and wealth to a few of his concubines and some capable descendants to manage, from which they could reap tremendous benefits.
As long as they didn't commit any atrocities or engage in too much evil, Han Li would not interfere.
Those without cultivation talent could enjoy their blessings, receiving a corresponding allocation of resources monthly, among which those with the ability could also apply to manage family affairs.
If they wished to receive more resource rewards, then they should have more children.
For those with cultivation talent, when they turned eight and could begin cultivating, Han Li would send them off to various Sects.
He had eighteen descendants with cultivation talent, and he had sent each to cultivate in different Sects within Fengyang Manor; those with lesser talent went to lesser Sects, and those with better talent went to better ones.
In all of Fengyang Manor's prominent Sects, there was at least one Pihai Realm individual presiding, and the very top ones even had individuals from the Gangyuan Realm.
For these cultivable descendants, Han Li was not stingy with cultivation resources; he wholeheartedly hoped they could cultivate to higher realms.
Not only could this expand the Han Family's influence and spread the fame of the Han Family's ancestor, facilitating the taking of more concubines, but it also provided some cultivation feedback for him. Although it was meager now, every little step adds up to a thousand miles.
"When this child is born, it will be time to visit the Sect," Han Li thought to himself.
Unbeknownst to him, nearly fifty years had passed since he descended the mountain to enter the Mortal World.
Over a hundred years ago, he went through countless hardships to become a disciple in the major Leizhou Sects of Tianxuan Mountain, cultivating all the way to the pinnacle of the Innate Realm. Rushing for quick success led to his efforts falling short, ending in despair and a somber departure from the mountain.
For decades, despite having eighteen descendants with the talent to cultivate, Han Li never considered sending them for cultivation at Tianxuan Mountain.
Tianxuan Mountain is among the great Leizhou Sects, boasting Hollow Void Stage powerhouses and enjoys significant fame throughout the Daqian Empire; their threshold for accepting disciples is quite high, starting from Eighth Grade qualifications.
Han Li, who was at the pinnacle of the Nineth Grade Innate Realm, was inconspicuous within Tianxuan Mountain, merely a Foreign Disciple, and thus unable to secure entry for his descendants into the Sect, especially those with Ninth Grade qualifications or even less impressive talents.
However, this time he had broken through to the Pihai Realm, and upon his return to Tianxuan Mountain, he was automatically promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple, which granted him no small amount of power.
If his latest descendant possessed Eighth Grade qualifications, a simple gesture on his part would ensure that his fellow Sect members responsible for recruiting Disciples would not make things too difficult and weed them out.
This is what they mean by the saying, 'One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.'
If the first generation cannot achieve success and lay the groundwork for their descendants, the only option left is to produce more offspring and hope for a dragon among men, which is the same in the Mortal World—'the more children, the more blessings.'
Months later, Li Mingmeng's belly had grown, and her face was radiant with a mother's love, her eyes filled with affection whenever she looked at Han Li.
Initially, when the Li Family Patriarch betrothed her to the Han Family Patriarch Han Li as his concubine, she was quite resistant.
After all, she was Lingjun City's number one beauty, exceptionally talented, and possessed Ninth Grade cultivation talent, with high hopes of breaking through to the Innate Realm and transcending the ordinary. She had numerous suitors, including some with Eighth Grade qualifications.
And what of Han Li, the Han Family Patriarch?
Only just managing to step into the Pihai Realm as he approached life's limit, his hair frosted with age, a visage of greying temples. How could she, an eighteen-year-old maiden, accept marrying an elderly man in his twilight years?
But upon truly meeting Han Li, she realized her grave mistake; her impressions of the Han Family Patriarch had been based on hearsay.
Han Li was not only in his twenties in appearance but also elegant and distinguished, a first-rate handsome man with outstanding charm—calling him the most handsome man in Lingjun City would not be an overstatement.
After marrying her, Han Li treated her exceptionally well, showing consideration in every aspect and providing various resources.
The Beauty Preserving Pill ensured her beauty would remain unchanged for a century; she had a complete supply of pills and Cultivation Techniques needed for practice, and guidance for her cultivation, so she could break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible.
A series of thoughtful gestures greatly increased Li Mingmeng's fondness for Han Li.
With a change of heart, considering Han Li's attainment of the Pihai Realm as Lingjun City's strongest, and his life expectancy of more than a hundred years, Li Mingmeng wholeheartedly accepted Han Li.
Four months later, the first child of Han Li and Li Mingmeng was finally born.
Knowing how much Han Li cared about the cultivation talent of his offspring, Li Mingmeng took the initiative to test it.
"Husband, our son has Eighth Grade cultivation talent," she said excitedly after testing, her child's talent even surpassing her own, clearly related to Han Li's cultivation level and talent.
With proper nurturing, Eighth Grade talent holds a not-so-small hope for breaking through the Pihai Realm.
"Mingmeng, you just gave birth to a child and need to rest more," Han Li said, glancing at the baby and then turning to Li Mingmeng.
Feeling Han Li's care and protection, Li Mingmeng breathed a sigh of relief, her love for him deepening. Her husband was not as rumored on the outside, taking concubines solely to produce more offspring.
Holding Li Mingmeng's hand, Han Li chatted with her while glancing at the System's prompt.
"You have sired your first descendant with Eighth Grade talent, your own talent has increased by one tenth, you have gained ten years of cultivation, and you have received a Profound Rank Lower Grade martial art, the 'Dragon's Chant Golden Bell Shield.'
The birth of this son had increased Han Li's own talent by one tenth, meaning he would need to sire nine more descendants with Eighth Grade talent to upgrade to Seventh Grade qualifications, and even more descendants with Ninth Grade talent or lesser talents would be required.
Han Li was not in a rush; his lifespan was plentiful, and in time, he was certain he would elevate to Seventh Grade qualifications.