Chapter 1671: Pregnant

"Daddy."

As Ye Chen looked around, he heard the call again. He paused instinctively, turned back, and gazed at Chu Ling'er. His divine eyes pierced like torches, fixing on her lower abdomen. He was absolutely certain that the infant's voice came from inside her body.

Only then did he notice that Chu Ling's lower abdomen held a hidden realm, obscured by a mysterious force that made everything hazy and indistinct. His eyes narrowed slightly as he parted the layers of mist in the void, peering into her abdomen.

In the blur, he seemed to see a baby, plump and pink, sometimes giggling loudly, other times wailing. Ye Chen was stunned, thinking he might be mistaken, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again, confirming it was indeed a little child.

As he watched, the little one was also blinking its eyes at him. For a moment, his expression became extraordinarily complex.

Chu Ling'er was pregnant; there was a child in her abdomen. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed Ye Chen's mind. He didn't know whose child it was or what she had gone through to be in this state. No wonder she was so prone to sleepiness—that was common for pregnant women—and why she felt lethargic and easily tired.

In that instant, his heart was filled with mixed emotions. Should he be happy or sad, joyful or regretful? Perhaps because he loved her so deeply, he cared so much, and his heart pained.

He lowered his gaze and sat down below the Wang Xiang Platform, silent, his eyes dim. His demeanor was more dejected than ever before.

After a full great cycle of reincarnation, three hundred years had passed, and he had arrived too late.

The head of the Naihe Bridge fell into a profound quiet, eerily still. She slept on the Wang Xiang Platform; he sat below it. She was like an ice sculpture, he like a stone statue, both utterly motionless.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew by, stirring their hair and making it sway in the wind. The scene seemed eternally frozen.

At the end of the Huangquan Road, shadows kept appearing—Niutou and Mamian were escorting ghosts to be sent for reincarnation.

Everyone knew Ye Chen was at the Naihe Bridge, and the news had spread, so Niutou and Mamian didn't dare act recklessly; they went about their duties properly.

Ye Chen didn't disturb Chu Ling; he only took her storage bag. Then came the Meng Po Soup, bowl after bowl laid out on the table.

The ghosts awaiting reincarnation cooperated, each stepping forward to take the soup. After drinking it, they lined up and crossed the Naihe Bridge.

And so, two days passed quietly, everything peaceful.

During that time, the Judge and the Wuchang Spirits came twice, uneasy about Ye Chen, but after a quick look around, they left.

Chu Ling woke up, stretched lazily, and descended from the Wang Xiang Platform. As soon as she saw him, she noticed Ye Chen sitting there, head bowed in silence, his messy black hair covering half his face.

Chu Ling raised an eyebrow, feeling something was off. The Ye Chen before her was completely different from before, as if he had suffered some blow. For the first time, she saw him so dispirited.

"Weirdo."

Chu Ling reached into her robe and pulled out a wine flask. But before she could lift it to drink, a hand suddenly appeared and snatched it away, tossing it aside.

The one who acted was Ye Chen, his intention clear.

"Are you sick?"

Chu Ling glared at Ye Chen. "Don't pick fights like this. Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

"Drinking harms the body, and it's not good for the child."

Ye Chen forced a smile, though it looked strained, and his voice was hoarse.

"Child?"

Chu Ling, who had been about to explode in anger, was stunned by the word, not understanding what Ye Chen meant.

This subtle reaction was fully noticed by Ye Chen. He frowned slightly, realizing she didn't even know she was pregnant. Perhaps it was because her memories were sealed, making her forget everything. And the mysterious force in her lower abdomen had hidden it all.

As a result, she was carrying a child without even realizing it.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. He gently raised his hand, brushing aside a strand of her hanging hair, trying to touch her cheek. But just as he was about to, Chu Ling dodged, stepping back with sparks of anger in her beautiful eyes.

"You flirt, still at it? Looking for a fight?"

"First, you tricked me into being the god of the Naihe Bridge and brought me to this ghostly place, then hugged me without a word, and now you threw my wine flask."

"And now you want to touch my face? Do you really think I'm that nice?"

The more Chu Ling scolded, the angrier she got. Already fiery by nature, her chest heaved with emotion, and she felt an urge to pin Ye Chen down and give him a beating.

Ye Chen only managed a strained smile, his dark eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing the tears in Ye Chen's eyes, Chu Ling couldn't help but twitch her mouth.

I only yelled at you a bit, and now you're crying?

The mighty ancient underworld general was being so petty. Get it straight—you were the one who overstepped, so if anyone should cry, it should be me.

Ye Chen said nothing, forcing back the tears welling in his eyes.

Chu Ling coughed awkwardly. Since he was crying, she didn't have the heart to scold him anymore. It even made her want to go over and comfort him.

He really lived up to her earlier judgment: this guy wasn't just a bit dim-witted; he was truly ill, and seriously so.

Yet, Ye Chen's tears made her own heart twinge with pain. For some reason, she felt an impulse to cry too.

Ye Chen gave her a feeling that was incredibly profound, his eyes full of warmth, always stirring ripples in her heart.

His body was covered in the dust of time, holding so many stories, incredibly weathered, not matching his age at all.

It was this very weariness that set him apart from others, carrying a magnetic pull that was hard to resist, making her want to look at him more.

Ye Chen turned silently and walked away, step by step.

The three-day limit was up; Yanluo Qin Guang Wang was about to emerge from seclusion.

To take Chu Ling away, he needed Qin Guang Wang's order. No matter what she had been through, his feelings for her remained unchanged until death.

Since she didn't want to stay here, he would risk his life to take her away.

This had nothing to do with trials; it was about the bonds of emotion, his unwavering resolve. There would always be a woman for whom he was willing to give his life to protect.

"No matter in the heavens or the underworld, Ye Chen loves you just the same."

He walked on, but his faint voice carried back on the wind.

Watching Ye Chen's departing figure, Chu Ling pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a sense of loss, as if something precious had been taken from her.

His back was so lonely and desolate, it made her heart ache.

This weirdo had done so many strange things, all from genuine emotion, making her start to believe there really was a connection between them.

On the peak of Jie Ming Mountain, Dihuang stood quietly, gazing in this direction. He had seen everything clearly at the Naihe Bridge.

Because he, Dihuang, was the one who had orchestrated it all.

Space twisted, and the Mingdi appeared, like Dihuang, peering through the hazy void at the Naihe Bridge.

The two supreme beings of the underworld stood side by side, like two unyielding monuments, impervious to any force in the world.

"That's a bit harsh."

The Mingdi spoke, his words drawn out.

"He is already invincible at his level, and so-called emotions are his fatal weakness. This trial is to temper his emotional ties."

Dihuang replied calmly, his divine eyes as still as an ancient well.

"That child in Chu Ling's abdomen—is it Ye Chen's?"

The Mingdi chuckled lightly, his words laden with meaning.

"She was already pregnant when she died in the heavens, and her child came with her to the underworld. He is the father of that child."

Dihuang smiled.

"So, you used that."

The Mingdi laughed. "Not only did you seal her memories, but you also sealed the child in her abdomen, exploiting the misunderstanding. Dihuang, your training for him is thorough indeed."

"I was defeated by the human path in the past, and I don't want him to stop at that stage. Though this trial is cruel, he must undergo rebirth through it."

"You're placing such high expectations on a junior—it's quite the effort."

"If he can't even pass this, how can he venture into the six paths of reincarnation?"