A Cat with a Painted Face
As night deepened, the Blue Silver Forest was immersed in a tranquil atmosphere woven from moonlight and the chirping of insects.
Xiao Wu walked to the wooden bed, took out the bedding she had prepared in advance from her Storage Ring, and carefully made it up for Tang San.
Tang San walked over and gently hugged her from behind, his arms encircling her slender waist.
Xiao Wu paused slightly, then went limp and nestled into his arms.
She turned around, wrapped her arms around Tang San's neck, and intertwined her fingers on the back of his neck.
"Third Brother," Xiao Wu said softly.
"Um."
"Thank you."
Tang San looked down at Xiao Wu in his arms. "What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for being so kind to us without reservation." Xiao Wu's eyes glistened, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.
After saying that, Xiao Wu tiptoed and gently touched Tang San's lips.
Tang San smiled, reached out and gently stroked her delicate nose, his gesture affectionate. "Who said I wouldn't keep you? Didn't I keep you?"
Xiao Wu's face flushed red instantly, and she lightly punched his chest. "You're so annoying."
Tang San picked up Xiao Wu and gently placed her on the prepared wooden bed.
Xiao Wu reached out, her fingers threading through Tang San's hair, and gently pressed on the back of his head, pulling his head towards her.
Her lips brushed against his earlobe. "Third Brother, tonight it's just you and me."
Tang San's heart skipped a beat.
He leaned down and kissed her lips.
Xiao Wu wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, responding forcefully and greedily.
Soon, the creaking of the wooden bed could be heard from inside the cabin, sometimes slowly, sometimes rapidly.
But all the sounds inside the cabin were drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.
Nothing more was said that night.
The next morning.
Sunlight streamed down from the east, bathing the entire open space in a warm golden hue.
In the center of the open space, Tang San and Xiao Wu each sat on a patch of grass.
They sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and meditated, their Soul Power slowly circulating within their bodies.
After a night of "rest," Tang San felt completely relaxed.
After receiving ample nourishment, Xiao Wu's complexion became very rosy, and she wore a faint smile.
The three who had absorbed the Soul Bones and Immortal Herbs also emerged from the wooden house one after another.
After absorbing the Soul Devouring Demon Spider Skull, Dugu Yan's Spiritual Power more than doubled.
Her eyes were deeper than before, with a purplish-black light swirling in her pupils, radiating a captivating power.
The Devouring Soul Demon Spider 'Head Soul Bone skill Soul Devouring Poison Domain.
When activated, Dugu Yan releases a field with a diameter of fifty meters centered on herself, which lasts for fifteen minutes.
The domain will devour the Spiritual Power of all enemies within its range to replenish Dugu Yan's own consumption.
For every second an enemy stays within the area, their Spiritual Power will be consumed and decrease by one percent, up to a maximum cumulative decrease of fifty percent.
A decline in Spiritual Power can cause enemies to react slowly, make mistakes in judgment, reduce the accuracy of their Soul Skills, and even interrupt their attacks.
In addition, within the area, the power of all of Dugu Yan's poison-attribute skills increases by 40%, and the intensity of the poison doubles.
After taking the Ye Lingling Aromatic Silk Beauty, Ye Lingling's temperament became more elegant and noble, exuding the grace and composure of an emperor.
Her Martial Soul Nine Heart Begonia, evolved into the Nine Heart Begonia Emperor, with the begonia petals emitting a pale golden light.
Ye Lingling's Soul Power increased directly from level 43 to level 48.
After evolving into a Royal-level Martial Soul, the Nine Heart Begonia successfully broke the inheritance restrictions.
Her Martial Soul evolved from a single top-tier healing Martial Soul into a super-top-tier support Martial Soul that combines healing, purification, Soul Power recovery, and attribute enhancement.
The higher the age of the Soul Ring, the greater the healing, purification, recovery, and amplification of the Soul Skill.
If it's a 100,000-year-old Soul Ring, it might even possess the ability to resurrect.
Absorbing the Illusion Realm Wisdom Skull also greatly increased her Spiritual Power.
She also gained a Soul Bone Skill called "Illusion Space," which can increase the Spiritual Power of allies by 20% and at the same time produce a strong hallucinogenic effect on enemies within the area.
Finally, there's Shui Bing'er; her transformation was equally astonishing.
After taking the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, Shui Bing'er's skin became even whiter and more delicate than snow, almost transparent in the sunlight.
Her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul bloodline is now purer, and her affinity for ice attributes has greatly increased.
His Soul Power increased directly from level 44 to level 49, a five-level increase just like Ye Lingling.
At the same time, after absorbing the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull, Shui Bing'er's Spiritual Power doubled.
As a control-type Soul Master, after gaining extremely keen perception and control, the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul is now completely under her control.
The "Icebound Aurora" Soul Bone Skill of the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull, is a single-point penetrating spiritual attack.
He unleashed his immense Spiritual Power through his eyes, creating an attack resembling "Icebound Aurora" that ignored physical defenses and directly crippled the enemy's soul.
It can not only cause massive mental damage, but also break through the opponent's illusions or mental defenses.
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Shui Bing'er stepped forward at the same time, hugged Tang San tightly, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him hard on his left cheek, right cheek, and forehead respectively.
With three crisp "pop" sounds, three bright red lip prints were left neatly on Tang San's cheeks.
Xiao Wu stood to the side, looking at Tang San's face covered with red lipstick marks, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Third Brother, you look like a cat with a painted face right now," Xiao Wu said with a laugh.
Tang San smiled helplessly; thankfully, no one else was around at the moment.
He opened his arms and embraced all four girls.
Dugu Yan leaned on his left shoulder, Ye Lingling leaned on his right shoulder, Shui Bing'er leaned on his left chest, and Xiao Wu leaned on his right chest.
Tang San lowered his head and kissed each of the four people on the forehead.
Fair, just, and impartial.
Dugu Yan raised her head, looking at Tang San with eyes full of tenderness and satisfaction. "Third Brother, what do we do next?"
"You've all absorbed your soul bones and Immortal Herbs, and have all experienced significant improvements. Now you need a period of consolidation and adaptation." Tang San said, "You've all completed your Soul Bone and immortal herb absorption, and you've all achieved tremendous growth. Next, you'll need a period of time to consolidate and adapt."
"As for me, I need to hone my skills. I must master the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer as soon as possible."
The four girls nodded in unison, their eyes blazing with determination.
"Okay!" Xiao Wu was the first to respond, "Then let's begin."
Five people began their new day in the morning light, amidst a sea of Blue Silver Grass, on an open space by a pond.
That night, Tang San quietly went to Shui Bing'er's wooden house.
Pushing open the door, Shui Bing'er was sitting on the edge of the bed, as if she had known Tang San would come, her fingers clutching the hem of her pajamas.
When she saw Tang San enter, she blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at Tang San.
Tang San closed the wooden door, walked over and sat down beside her, gently put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
Shui Bing'er's heart was pounding, and her breathing became rapid.
"Bing'er."
"Third Brother."
Tang San reached out and gently lifted her chin.
Shui Bing'er's eyes are beautiful, ice-blue, like two clear springs.
The reflection of Tang San's face at that moment was filled with shyness, nervousness, and anticipation.
Tang San lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to hers with boundless tenderness.
Shui Bing'er closed her eyes, reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, responding with increased force.
Tang San gently removed the shoulder straps of her nightgown, and the two embraced and slowly fell back onto the wooden bed.
The moonlight shimmered in the wooden cabin, casting silvery spots that flickered like shards of silver floating on water.
Another night passed without incident.