Chapter 159: Fetal Movement (Part Two)

"What do you mean by a defect that isn't really a defect?"

Wang Li asked, looking completely baffled by Master Sheng's remark.

After thinking for a long while, Master Sheng continued, "It means this method isn't entirely perfect, and it falls far short of normal reproduction."

"Here is how it goes: the innate avatars possess the same potential as the original bodies, but the children conceived through these natal avatars cannot inherit their parents' potential. A child's aptitude is entirely random—they might be born a super genius, but the greater probability is that they will be quite mediocre."

"This is probably a patch applied by the balancing mechanism of the World Tree."

"Are there any other side effects besides that?"

Wang Li wasn't worried about his descendants lacking the ability to cultivate. He was no longer that little Daoist boy from the Pure Yang Temple; he possessed vast amounts of cultivation resources at his fingertips. Even if a child had completely ordinary cultivation aptitude, he had the confidence to forcefully push him or her onto the path of cultivation.

Besides, Master Sheng was right here with him—what was there to fear?

The only thing he worried about was whether this bizarre-sounding method of conceiving offspring would leave behind lasting sequelae.

Master Sheng replied, "There is actually one point that requires attention."

"What point?" Wang Li's heart leaped into his throat.

"Every living being can only separate one natal avatar. Once it merges back with the original body, it can never be separated again. In other words, lass Jiang Yue only has one chance to have children this way. She needs to decide for herself whether she wants to do this."

"Can't we do it without merging?"

"No. There is a high probability of mutations occurring between the avatar and the offspring born from it. The original body's power is required to counteract and constrain these mutations to ensure the offspring's health."

"I see..."

Wang Li pondered for several days, hesitating whether he should tell Jiang Yue about this matter.

In the end, worn down by Jiang Yue's endless pestering, he made up his mind and told her about the natal avatar method.

"Can this really produce a healthy child?"

Jiang Yue wore a look of utter skepticism, finding Wang Li's outrageous method hard to believe.

"It really can, I promise you!"

Wang Li said with concern, "However, there is only this one chance. You decide for yourself whether you want to do it this way."

Jiang Yue fell silent and chased Wang Li out of her immortal dwelling.

Wang Li was temporarily relieved from endless labor, but he couldn't rest easy. He waited in great anxiety for Jiang Yue's decision.

Half a month passed, and Jiang Yue did not show her face at all. Worried about her, Wang Li knocked on her chamber door.

Jiang Yue looked very melancholic. Seeing Wang Li approach, she asked, "Is there really only one chance?"

"Yes, just one."

"And here I was thinking about having a house full of children."

Jiang Yue suddenly hugged Wang Li. "One will have to do; it's better than none. Let's start right now!"

Wang Li gave a start. "Isn't that a bit too hasty?"

"I'm an old granny over five thousand years old, I can't wait anymore!"

"Shouldn't we at least prepare a little?"

"We do need to prepare. By the way, you said the natal avatar disappears after merging back, right?"

"Right, that's why I said there's only one chance."

"Good, I'm going to call my sister out of seclusion right now!"

"Why call her? She doesn't even want children."

"Who says so!"

Jiang Yue glared at him. "You men are always so careless, don't you know women love to say the opposite of what they mean?"

"Even if she wants children, there's no need to disturb her cultivation, right? It won't be too late to have them after she breaks through to the next realm."

"It's not too late, but... you can only have children with the two of us. I've long noticed the way Yun Jing looks at you. To prevent an extra love rival from popping up, I've decided: we will have children with you at the same time, and right after it's done, you will merge your natal avatar back. I will absolutely not leave an opening for any other woman!"

Having said that, she rushed off to find Jiang Yu, leaving Wang Li stranded in the wind, completely bewildered.

"What kind of miraculous train of thought is this?!"

Wang Li simply could not fathom why the thinking processes of female creatures could be so... erratic.

Soon, Jiang Yu emerged from seclusion.

She stood firmly on the same battle line as Jiang Yue, determined not to give any other woman even the slightest chance.

Wang Li could only marvel that he never knew he possessed such immense charm...

The method to separate a natal avatar was not overly complex, but the steps were extremely tedious. It required peeling away a minute fraction of a cultivator's every detail using the primal breath of heaven and earth. The entire process consumed an immense amount of time, and the three of them took a full year to complete it.

Wang Li finally understood why this method was only suitable for high-tier cultivators. Without the minute, razor-sharp perceptive observation of the Earth Immortal Realm just to perform the introspective peeling, no one could possibly complete the first step, let alone the subsequent ones.

Once the separation was complete, the next step was to use specialized techniques to shape the separated parts bit by bit to match the original body. This process was also extremely time-consuming; the slightest error anywhere meant starting all over again.

Wang Li sighed, "Having a child really isn't easy!"

After busying themselves for another half a year, the shaping was finished. Next came the step with the highest risk and the most agony: they needed to transfer their divine souls into the avatars to truly awaken them.

Detaching the divine soul from the original body was an agonizing ordeal, and a failure to completely detach it could tear the divine soul apart. Wang Li had deep, personal experience with this kind of pain.

Fortunately, the divine souls of all three were flawless, and the soul-transfer process went smoothly.

Another half a year later, six people appeared in Wang Li's quiet meditation chamber.

The original bodies of the three, plus their three avatars.

Looking at avatars that were identical to themselves felt quite surreal for the original bodies.

The original bodies could clearly control the thoughts and actions of their avatars, as naturally as controlling their own limbs—it was a wondrous sensation.

With the avatars successfully separated, Wang Li looked at his two cultivation partners and saw the eagerness burning in their eyes.

"Then let's begin. Prepare some food and water; I'm putting this avatar on the line, life accompanying the gentlemen!"

Wang Li assumed a look of heroic martyrdom, which sent both women into peals of bright laughter.

After half a year of sweat-drenched days, just as Wang Li felt his natal avatar was so drained it needed recuperation, Jiang Yu suddenly cried out in alarm, "I feel fetal movement!"

"Ah, really? Let me check!"

Wang Li placed his hand on the pulse of Jiang Yu's avatar. It was truly a pregnant pulse!

Wang Li was ecstatic; after all these years of hard work, it was finally time for the harvest.

Feeling the tiny life twitch, Wang Li felt as though the door to a new world had been opened for him.

He hurriedly checked Jiang Yue's avatar, but suddenly frowned, black lines tracing across his face: "Jiang Yue, do you even know what fetal movement is?"

Jiang Yue muttered sleepily, "Isn't it just the fetus kicking and stretching its legs inside the belly?"

Feeling like he was about to be defeated by her logic, Wang Li couldn't help shouting, "The two fetuses inside your avatar are already nearly two and a half months along, and you didn't even notice?!"

Wang Li had every reason to be angry. The best timing to merge the original body with the avatar was before the fetus reached three months. With that window about to close, how could he not be anxious?

Jiang Yue's brain was definitely malfunctioning! It needed fixing!

For once, Jiang Yue didn't talk back. Excitedly, she began merging her avatar back.

Fearing she would space out again, Wang Li watched over her personally, only breathing a sigh of relief after the merger was complete and everything was checked to be in order.