Chapter 961: Birth of the Eldest Daughter

Lei En built a castle for Fa Lan Jia Si Ka by the Heaven Pool Lake, and although the castle's scale is not large, it has everything—servants, guards, butlers, etc. —all appointed and dismissed by Fa Lan Jia Si Ka herself, plus a 500‑person Supernatural Guard, half human supernaturals and half barbarians.

That night, a celebration banquet was held in the new castle.

Fa Lan Jia Si Ka stayed by Lei En's side the whole time, arm‑in‑arm with him, never leaving his side.

Whenever a female spellcaster approached, she grew alert, instantly casting a sharp gaze, giving them no chance to flirt with Lei En. Even when Dean Ma Ge Li Ta spoke a few words longer with Lei En, she subtly kept them apart.

"Hehe…"

The charming Dean Ma Ge Li Ta felt helpless and could only take her leave.

Lei En watched her full figure retreating, feeling a bit regretful—among all the female spellcasters, she was the only one he truly cared for. Turning back, he met Fa Lan Jia Si Ka's gaze and said, "Lord, if you're interested in the dean, I can give you a hand."

"Why is the Countess suddenly so generous?"

Lei En chuckled dumbfounded; he knew exactly the mermaid's moves in the dark tonight.

"I've never been stingy," Fa Lan Jia Si Ka said seriously. "Lord, whatever woman you want, I won't stop you. But regarding female spellcasters, I think you still need to be cautious; none of them are simple‑minded."

Lei En wanted to ask, "So is your mind simple then?"

"Of course."

Fa Lan Jia Si Ka seemed to hear his thoughts and replied earnestly, "I serve the Lord with all my heart; everything I have belongs to you, your Willpower is my Willpower. Even though I am now a Countess and may have other titles later, I will always be your chief maid."

The Holy Soul Eye saw that not a single word she said was false.

Lei En couldn't help but be moved, grasping Fa Lan Jia Si Ka's wrist, and she whispered, "I myself am a female spellcaster, so I understand them best. If there were another female spellcaster by your side, I fear the days ahead would no longer be so peaceful."

He nodded.

In a harem, if there are two female spellcasters, palace intrigue would likely play out daily.

"Then why did you give me the idea of targeting Dean Ma Ge Li Ta?" Lei En asked again.

"Dean Ma Li Ta Li is different; she is a Saint Rank elite and the spiritual leader of the Empire's spellcasters. If the Lord can win her loyalty, it would be a great help," Fa Lan Jia Si Ka hinted. "Spellcasters are the caster group just below Wizards; although their status is lower than Wizards, they outnumber Wizards by more than five to one. Many female spellcasters hold high positions or serve as advisors or companions to important figures. United, their strength and influence are not to be underestimated and can stir a wave throughout the Empire."

Lei En gave her a deep look upon hearing that.

Clearly, she had already guessed his ambition and had begun making preparations.

"No need," Lei En said after thinking, shaking his head to reject her suggestion. "You probably know Dean Ma Ge Li Ta better than I do; she isn't a woman easily satisfied. Compared with what we could gain, I might have to give up more."

Fa Lan Jia Si Ka gave a slight nod, "Lord, if you disagree, then it's fine."

She breathed a sigh of relief in secret.

Lei En saw through her thoughts; although she outwardly said she would help secure Dean Ma Ge Li Ta, he was actually very wary inside.

Women…

He smiled to himself, without exposing her.

The spellcaster group Fa Lan Jia Si Ka mentioned actually doesn't have that much impact; whether it's high‑end combat power above Saint Rank or the so‑called "influence," in the eyes of the Supreme Council's Holy Soul Wizards, it is all negligible.

However, spellcasters might have some effect on public opinion.

Lei En thought it over and changed his mind, saying, "In the coming years, you can interact more with Dean Ma Li Ge Li, invite her to Gotham City frequently, and assign more positions to capable spellcasters, regardless of gender, to show goodwill."

Fa Lan Jia Si Ka's expression shifted slightly.

"It's not as you think," Lei En laughed. "I won't deal directly with Dean Ma Ge Li Ta; you'll act as the intermediary, and the two sides will cooperate at a moderate level, offering them some benefits."

"I need the Aira Tusa Academy and Empire spellcasters to stand on our side at critical moments, at least not on the opposing side."

"At this level, you should know how to handle it."

After Lei En finished speaking, Fa Lan Jia Si Ka thoughtfully nodded, "I know what to do, Lord."

The banquet ended early, and Fa Lan Jia Si Ka, being pregnant, returned to the castle's bedroom to rest.

Lei En stayed with her through the night.

The next day, the two returned to the New Continent. Fa Lan Jia Si Ka threw herself into managing Gotham City, with no difference from before her ennoblement, but the upper echelons of Gotham City received the news and, upon seeing her, unanimously addressed her as "Countess" Your Excellency.

The chief maid and the Countess differ in status by a world apart.

Fa Lan Jia Si Ka actually didn't care about her title; "Lady" or "Countess" were both fine, the power was the same. What mattered to her was the surname "Augustus," which concerned the status of her unborn child and, most importantly, the inheritance rights.

"If only it were a boy…"

When no one was nearby, Fa Lan Jia Si Ka gently touched her belly, murmuring softly, her beautiful face full of anticipation.

Her words were captured by the Thundercast Celestial Soldier's voice of all things and transmitted to Lei En's ears.

In the Obsidian Tower.

Lei En was buried in research on a brand‑new firearm based on the "scorching ray" principle, firing high‑temperature light beams to strike targets, with high frequency and high muzzle velocity, a range far exceeding that of spells, causing an explosion upon impact, sufficient for hundreds of shots.

He suddenly halted his actions, thinking to himself, "Her ambition is indeed great; my plan hasn't succeeded yet, and she's already contemplating the future line of succession."

But he didn't mind.

It's too early to think about such matters now; as long as I don't die each day, no one can take anything away.

With my strength, I can expect to live a very long time, long enough to make my descendants despair and dare not entertain any undue ambitions. Moreover, if I truly die, everything I've created—power, status, legion, wealth—will vanish into thin air.

Then what would they be fighting over?

What I give you is yours; what I don't give, you cannot take.

A cold edge appeared on Lei En's face; after a moment's thought, he resumed his research.

Two days later, Lei En, immersed in his research, halted, activated a phase beacon, and instantly crossed the distant void plane, appearing in Black Soul Valley on the 435th layer of the Abyss.

Thick gray‑white mist filled the valley, yet it did not hinder his sight; he could see the swamp on the western side where the valley meets the forest. Its surface resembled other swamps, but beneath the murky water lay hundreds of thousands of Demon corpses.

Some of the corpses were piled together, others spaced apart, all highly decayed.

A nauseating stench of rot assaulted his nose.

The nutrients from the corpses seeped into the swamp soil, sprouting fist‑sized mushrooms with black caps and white stems, a sight oddly pleasing.

These are Black Soul Mushrooms!

"Boss!"

Lei En didn't conceal his presence; Yi Geng, who was inspecting the Black Soul Mushrooms, sensed the teleportation surge, transformed into a vampire's form, looked up, and his pale, grimy face first showed shock, then pure delight.

"It seems the black soul mushrooms you cultivated have matured," Lei En said with a smile.

"Yes." Yi Geng greeted enthusiastically, raised a hand to point at the surroundings, and, somewhat excited, shouted loudly: "These are the first batch of mature black soul mushrooms, ready for harvesting, so I notified the boss to come and see them with his own eyes."

Lei En nodded and praised, "Well done."

"Hehe…"

Yi Geng's desire for credit was unhidden; he bent down, plucked several black soul mushrooms from his feet, and handed them to Lei En, "Boss, take a look."

"Demon corpses contain richer nutrients than ordinary monsters; combined with Black Soul Valley's favorable climate, the cultivated black soul mushrooms are first‑rate, each plump and infused with more life essence, so the elixirs made from them are more effective."

"I've been growing black soul mushrooms for over a hundred years; mushrooms of this quality are rare."

"In the past month and a half I've only slept a few hours, and I've figured out the sowing timing for every type of demon corpse."

"The black soul mushrooms grown from now on will surely be even better."

Yi Geng pounded his chest in assurance, his face beaming with pride.

Lei En previously knew nothing of this, but three hundred Thundercast Celestial Soldiers learned from Yi Geng, mastered the cultivation technique, and can now appraise black soul mushrooms.

Yi Geng's words were somewhat exaggerated, yet this batch of black soul mushrooms truly is of excellent quality, and his recent efforts have not gone unnoticed; he is indeed the only alchemist in the world who has mastered black soul mushroom cultivation, and the results are very satisfying.

"Very good." Lei En never held back praise, "You've worked hard these past days."

"It was my duty, it was my duty."

Yi Geng's expression suddenly became a bit shy, "Boss, since you think I've worked hard and produced such good black soul mushrooms, could the bonus be increased a bit?"

Lei En smiled, "By how much do you want to raise it?"

"Add half a Gold Shield to each black soul elixir," Yi Geng replied with an expectant face.

Lei En was instantly speechless; he had previously promised Yi Geng one Gold Shield as a reward for a black soul elixir, and now the first batch of black soul mushrooms had just been cultivated, the elixir not yet seen, and he was already demanding a 50% raise—this wasn't a lion's bold request, but a dragon's.

"I'll think it over."

He disagreed inwardly but did not give a clear refusal, lest he dampen Yi Geng's enthusiasm, "First produce the black soul elixir, and I'll see how effective it is."

"Alright, boss."

Yi Geng rubbed his hands, swiftly harvested dozens of mature black soul mushrooms, and entered the alchemy workshop built in the forest.

After he left, a Thundercast Celestial Soldier transformed into a demon appearance and flew into the swamp, located the mature black soul mushrooms, harvested them, delivered all to the alchemy workshop, and tallied the count: this batch exceeded ten thousand, enough to produce over thirty thousand black soul elixirs.

Moreover, for the next half month, black soul mushrooms matured daily for harvesting.

Until the demon corpses were completely decomposed and nutrients exhausted.

The method of making black soul elixir is not a secret; many alchemists know it, and Yi Geng had nothing to hide. Familiar with various alchemical tools, he processed the black soul mushrooms, added other ingredients step by step, and in just a quarter of an hour completed a dozen or so black soul elixirs.

Lei En watched the production process and had to admit that Yi Geng's experience with black soul elixirs was extremely rich.

Fast and good, achieving ultimate perfection.

"Boss, would you like to try?" Yi Geng placed a dozen bottles of demon elixir before Lei En; the liquid inside was crystal clear and bright, like ice water, flawless.

Lei En opened a bottle, tipped his head back, and drank.

Instantly, a pure stream of life energy surged from his abdomen, his whole body warmed, his soul in the mind was nourished, and his spirit was invigorated; if he entered meditation now, his Soul Power would surely grow faster than usual.

However, the effect lasted only a few seconds before it began to plummet rapidly.

"Very good!"

Lei En exclaimed in admiration; as a Holy Soul Wizard, he noted that even this faint effect of the black soul elixir revealed its great power.

For superiors below the Legend tier, the effect lasts at least three months, and their strength will surely surge dramatically.

Most importantly, black soul elixir has virtually no tolerance.

It can be used repeatedly!

A newly‑promoted superhuman who continuously receives black soul elixirs and matching demon souls will, within five years, surely unlock all potential. With slightly better talent, reaching High-stage is no problem; even the most mediocre superhuman has a chance to reach Mid-stage.

As for advancing to Legend, black soul elixir cannot solve that; outstanding talent is required.

Half a month ago, recruitment in Gotham City, the Augustus Principality, and the Ossian Duchy had already begun.

The Duke's Guard was extremely attractive to ordinary youths, especially since there was a chance to become a superhuman.

Applicants flocked to it.

After selection, more than ten thousand had been recruited.

These ordinary people all have the potential to become superhumans, some exceptionally talented and even capable of becoming Wizards, but lacking resources and opportunities. However, joining the Duke's Guard means they will be cut off from becoming Wizards for life; they can only become Iron Guard, Ranger, or Gunner.

The Imperial Defense Army does not require other superhuman professions.

Now that black soul elixirs exist, the first batch of soldiers who have completed training and passed the loyalty test can be given the elixir to increase their soul and boost Soul Transformation success rate.

"Yi Geng, quickly turn all the black soul mushrooms into elixirs," Lei En ordered, "My demand is huge; give me as many as possible."

"Yes!"

Yi Geng responded loudly.

He could not handle such a volume alone, so he assigned the task to Thundercast Celestial Soldiers. Moments later, the entire alchemy workshop was in operation, producing batch after batch of black soul elixirs.

Lei En waited in Black Soul Valley for two days, obtained over thirty thousand black soul elixirs, and returned to the Prime Material Plane.

He distributed the elixirs to three barracks and resumed his own research.

Time flew.

In the middle of August 2538 of the New Era Calendar, Lei En was still buried in research inside the Obsidian Tower when he suddenly stopped work, teleported to a highland fortress of Gotham City, and then his mind leapt to the doorway outside a bedroom on the fortress's top floor, patiently waiting, as Falanjiasika was about to give birth.

Not long after, a baby's cry came from behind the door.

Lei En immediately pushed the door open, saw Falanjiasika lying on the bed, cradling a newborn child; her beautiful face shone with the tender glow of a new mother, yet a hint of unmistakable disappointment lingered deep in her eyes.

"Sir," she looked up, delighted, "Come quickly and see our daughter."

(End of Chapter)