Six years later.
"Xiaoqing, stop playing with that stinky chrysanthemum. You still have to go out and awaken your Martial Soul today, remember?"
Youyou helplessly called out to Su Qing, who was playing with the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. When Su Qing had first arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, that very fellow had been the one shouting about killing him. Now they were having such a good time together.
Of course, you couldn't blame him. Raising a child was a strange thing—before you knew it, you'd grown attached. Once, someone had brought up whether they should kill Su Qing after all, and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot had immediately objected, shouting that they wanted to fight whoever had said it.
They had found the name Su Qing on the swaddling cloth they'd used to make him clothes. The boy's parents had even chosen a name for him, but for some reason, they had still abandoned him.
But none of that mattered anymore. As Youyou saw it, the boy had grown up well with them by his side. At the very least, he was healthy and lively.
"I know, Sister Youyou. But I can't bear to leave you all. I just want you to play with me a little longer."
Su Qing smiled as he protested, but obediently said goodbye to the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and walked over to Youyou.
"Hmph, that's more like it. But don't think this is enough to make me stop being mad. The first thing you did when you woke up this morning wasn't say good morning to me. You opened your eyes and immediately told me you were six and had to go awaken your Martial Soul! I won't forgive you no matter what until you apologize!"
Worried Su Qing wouldn't realize she was angry, she even turned around and pointed her flower stem at him.
"I was just so excited, Sister Youyou. Come on, don't be mad. I was wrong, okay?"
Su Qing hurried over and hugged Youyou's pale pink flower from the side.
"Hmph, that's more like it. Be careful when you go out, okay? Don't trust strangers too easily. And remember to come back after you awaken your Martial Soul—we still have something to give you. Also, once you leave, keep walking in one direction. And don't forget to bring food. And..."
At that moment, Youyou sounded like a mother fussing over a child about to leave home. But Su Qing didn't think she was being nagging. These Immortal Herbs had put a great deal of effort into raising him over the past six years. He had long since come to regard them as family, just like the old sect master who had raised him. Su Qing would never forget their kindness.
He silently told himself that if he succeeded in killing those God Kings in the future, he would take all these Immortal Herbs to the Divine Realm.
But now he had to interrupt Youyou's monologue. It wasn't that he minded her nagging, but if he let her go on like this, night would fall.
"All right, Sister Youyou, I know. You all take care of yourselves too. Don't let your roots reach into the Ice and Fire Springs, okay?"
"Hey, you little brat!"
At Su Qing's teasing remark, Youyou instantly flew into a rage. But before long, she couldn't stay angry anymore.
After spending so much time together, Su Qing had long since learned how to cheer her up. He bent down and gently pressed his lips to one of Youyou's petals. A blush soon spread across them.
"Ahem. All right, you should get going. Take this with you."
As she spoke, Youyou used her Soul Power to float her Qiluo Pill in front of Su Qing, but then she felt something was missing.
"Jiaojiao, Bajiao, go scrape a layer of bark off the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo."
"Sure thing!"
As soon as Youyou finished speaking, water surged up from the Ice Spring and the Fire Spring, taking on human shapes. The two leapt onto the bank and, rubbing their hands together, headed for the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo.
"Don't come any closer!!!"
"That's much better!"
Youyou looked at the Qiluo Pill hanging around Su Qing's neck with satisfaction. With it, he would be able to safely pass through the poisonous miasma and leave to awaken his Martial Soul.
"Sister Youyou is the best! And you too, Big Brother Ink Jade Divine Bamboo!"
"It's nothing. It was the least I could do."
The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo stood off to one side, close to tears. Back when they'd needed string to make clothes, they'd taken bark from him too. After all these years, he'd actually gotten used to it.
"All right, hurry up and go. It'll be hard to see later, and you might get lost."
With that, Youyou smacked him on the bottom with a leaf, urging him along.
"Got it. I'm off, Sister Youyou!"
As he spoke, Su Qing hurried into the poisonous miasma.
"I'm going out to awaken my Martial Soul again. I wonder if that Ring Jade will still show no sign of life this time. If it does, things could get a little troublesome."
Su Qing furrowed his brow slightly. Having lived through this once already, he knew his Second Martial Soul, Ring Jade, was the most important thing. His First Martial Soul, the Li Yan Spear, could at best be considered a top-tier weapon Martial Soul. Ring Jade, on the other hand, could even be called a god-level Martial Soul. But if it still didn't react at all, he'd be in a tough spot. Without going to the Divine Realm, he couldn't seize a godhood, so he'd have no choice but to explore Dragon Valley little by little. As for the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he had no intention of laying a hand on them.
They were the key to maintaining the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. He didn't want the Immortal Herbs who had raised him to lose their only refuge. That left him with only Dragon Valley—but that place would be hard to find...
"Whatever! The road to the stronghold was long and hard as iron; now I stride forward again!"
Completely absorbed in his thoughts about the future, Su Qing failed to notice the pair of Forest Ice-and-Fire People following behind him. Youyou had indeed chosen the shortest route to Heaven Dou City, but the Green Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers and Green Phosphorus Nine Absolute Flowers along it were the oldest and most numerous. To guard against danger, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot had used the spring water to create two bodies and sent them after him to protect him.
After walking for about a day and a night, the poisonous miasma obstructed his vision far less. It seemed he had reached the edge of the miasma—and was about to leave the safest stretch of the road.
There were Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest, and they didn't dare approach the poisonous miasma. For Su Qing, protected by the Qiluo Pill, the miasma was the safest place. Beyond it, he'd truly have to leave things to fate. He had no way of knowing what Soul Beasts he might encounter.
"Phew. I still haven't awakened my Martial Soul, so I need to be careful."
The moment he stepped out of the poisonous miasma, Su Qing's guard shot up. In a Soul Beast forest, letting your guard down for even a moment could cost you your life.
But he didn't encounter a single Soul Beast before reaching a human settlement. Looking at the abandoned village before him, Su Qing couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"Phew, looks like I'm lucky. I hope awakening my Martial Soul goes smoothly too! And my Second Martial Soul, Ring Jade—please don't stay completely silent!"
After watching Su Qing enter human society, the water incarnations of the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass exchanged a glance, then left together.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing alone in the forest?"
Just as Su Qing was about to take a short rest here, a clear female voice rang out at an inopportune moment.
"Hm? Where'd that woman come from?"