New Discoveries

The next day, before the sun had risen, Xiao Tianyang finished washing up and stepped out of the house.

Of course, he was wandering around without any particular destination. First, to familiarize himself with the surroundings; second, to find the place where Tang San often trained.

"Making contact is easy enough, but building a friendship will be a little difficult."

Xiao Tianyang was in excellent spirits. As he walked, he recalled the Side Quest from last night.

"Whatever. We're half the same kind, after all. We shouldn't fall out the moment we meet."

Xiao Tianyang felt there was no need to scheme over something like this, because that would only make him seem deliberate.

Besides, who was Tang San?

He was the man who would become a god in the future. If Xiao Tianyang really treated him like some five- or six-year-old child, he would be finished.

So it was better to be straightforward and not approach him with an agenda. That might make them easier to get along with.

Sacred Soul Village was not actually large. At most, it had a little over a hundred households. After making a full round, Xiao Tianyang discovered that his destination was not inside the village, but outside it.

Dawn had only just broken when Xiao Tianyang, who had been sitting on the Hilltop for some time, heard faint footsteps behind him.

There was no need to guess. Thinking about who would come to such a remote corner at this hour, who else could it be?

"You're... that kid from yesterday?"

Tang San's steps paused slightly. Looking at Xiao Tianyang's back, a trace of confusion appeared on his face.

No one usually came here, much less at this time of day.

So why was there suddenly a child sitting here?

"You've seen me before?" Xiao Tianyang turned around, his expression blank.

Now was the time to test his acting skills. Fortunately, Xiao Tianyang had taken a few acting classes after graduating from a music academy. He was no expert, but he was certainly not bad.

Besides, he truly had not met Tang San before, so the confusion in his eyes did not seem fake at all.

"Yesterday, my dad was the one who brought you back."

Tang San sat beside Xiao Tianyang. Seeing that the other party remained silent, he lowered his voice and added, "If you really can't hold it in, just cry. It's okay."

Hearing that, Xiao Tianyang was a little stunned.

How had Tang San started talking to him before he had even made a move?

Wasn't this plot supposed to go differently?

In truth, Xiao Tianyang had overthought things. Or rather, Tang San had no need to be overly wary of a child at this point.

First of all, Xiao Tianyang had not appeared out of thin air. He had been born in this village and lived here ever since, so there was no reason to doubt that.

Second, Tang San, who had yet to learn of his own background, had no secrets besides being a transmigrator—something he could not tell anyone about anyway.

So from the start, Xiao Tianyang had worried a little too much.

But by coincidence, that silence made Tang San sympathize with Xiao Tianyang even more. After all, Tang San still had a father, while Xiao Tianyang truly had nothing left. It was only natural for Tang San to feel that way.

Xiao Tianyang was also a smart person. Once he understood, he began chatting with Tang San. It was a little awkward at first, and the conversation was somewhat monotonous, but it suited his current persona.

Moreover, perhaps because they were both children with mature minds, they gradually found more topics to discuss, and the conversation was no longer so dull.

As for Tang San's reaction, he naturally became happier and happier.

After all, he did not have many friends in this village. Or rather, he was fundamentally different from those five- and six-year-old children, and they simply had nothing in common to talk about.

At the same time, he did not find anything strange about Xiao Tianyang. After all, some people did undergo changes in personality after suffering a major upheaval. Tang San could understand that completely.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the Side Quest, [Contact Tang San]!"

"Reward obtained: Lottery Points ×10!"

As the sun just peeked over the opposite side of the Hilltop, Xiao Tianyang received the notification. At the same time, he secretly let out a sigh of relief. The system's prompt can't be wrong. It looks like Tang San recognizes me as a friend.

Suddenly, Tang San said, "Tianyang, I'm going to start training. What about you?"

"I'll sit nearby and wait for you." Xiao Tianyang said this as he looked ahead.

He understood that Tang San was going to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye. That was why he had waited here in the first place, and it would not take long anyway.

As for Tang San's secrets, Xiao Tianyang had no intention of prying into them, nor was there any need to.

Tang San had no other thoughts either. In his eyes, Xiao Tianyang was a friend worth making. Moreover, cultivating the Purple Demon Eye did not cause much of a commotion, so he did not stay on guard. He simply sat down cross-legged and quickly entered a cultivation state.

But would Xiao Tianyang really sit there and wait obediently?

The answer was no.

It was not that he did not want to, but that the Nine Yang Divine Skill within him resonated with the Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire. The reason was simple: as the sun rose in the east, it was time to cultivate!

Forced into a cultivation state, his Soul Power circulated through his meridians in a full cycle. Xiao Tianyang felt as though his body had become a furnace, while his True Body stood beneath the sun. The Impurities within him were continuously expelled, and even his mind began to feel clear and ethereal.

The Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire in particular appeared to be resting obediently within his body, but in truth, it was burning away Xiao Tianyang's karma in this world—whether from his previous life or this one!

It was not exactly painful, but it was far from pleasant.

After a long while, Xiao Tianyang was gently nudged by a small hand, and a voice sounded beside his ear. "Tianyang, what's wrong with you?"

Naturally, it was Tang San calling him. Xiao Tianyang looked up at his expression and, seeing that nothing was wrong, shook his head. "No."

Tang San found it somewhat strange, but he did not press the matter and merely nodded.

In his perception, Xiao Tianyang seemed different from before, yet he could not say exactly how.

He seemed more pleasing to the eye than before, more approachable.

Xiao Tianyang himself, on the other hand, was not thinking about that at all, because he was staring in shock at the page he saw in his mind.

Host: Xiao Tianyang

Physique: Pseudo? Immaculate Physique [Untouched by karma when killing; all things feel an affinity toward it]

Strength Level: Level 6 [Soul Scholar]

Soul Skill: None

Soul Bone: None

Martial Soul: Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire [Burns karma, cleanses sin]

Lottery Points: 10

There were quite a few changes here, and Xiao Tianyang genuinely could not process them all at once. First of all, the identity category had changed into physique.

But since the system had always been mysterious, he could accept that. After all, it was not something he could control.

But why had his level fallen rather than risen after a round of cultivation?

Even stranger, although his level had dropped, why had his strength not weakened? It seemed to have grown even stronger instead.

"System, what exactly is going on?"

When he did not know, he asked. That was Xiao Tianyang's good habit.

"Answering host: The fusion rate between the Nine Yang Divine Skill and Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire has reached �%, exceeding the baseline value. This can improve physique and Spirit Power Quality; therefore, the level has fallen."

Xiao Tianyang suddenly understood, but another question arose in his mind. "Then why didn't I get this benefit when I cultivated yesterday?"

"Answering host: First, the host's original strength was obtained through medicinal pills. Second, only at sunrise can the effects of the Nine Yang Divine Skill and Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire reach their peak and produce a tempering effect."