The Handsome Young Man, The Male Silver Dragon King

Hearing Su Qing's question, Tang Ya, who had been squatting on a tree branch, leaped down in front of him and gave his forehead a sharp smack.

"How rude! When you meet a girl older than you, you should call her 'Big Sister'!"

"It's not that, you just appeared out of nowhere—how was I supposed to know where you were?"

Su Qing felt like crying but had no tears; who just walks up and smacks someone on the head? He secretly thought that if he had the ability, he'd wait until he awakened his Martial Soul to battle her.

"That actually makes some sense. Anyway, never mind that—what are you doing here all by yourself?"

After weighing the pros and cons and deciding that bickering over such things was too much trouble, Tang Ya simply stopped thinking about it and looked at Su Qing with suspicion. Why was this kid running into the forest alone? Was it because no one would play with him and he was bored, so he came here? Wouldn't that make them kindred spirits?

"I want to go to the city to awaken my Martial Soul, but I didn't know the way, so I ended up here."

Su Qing certainly couldn't say he lived in the forest; it would be hard not to be mistaken for a transformed Spirit Beast! Since sincerity was the ultimate weapon, he decided to pick and choose a few truths to tell.

"What? You haven't awakened your Martial Soul yet? It's pure luck you're still alive and haven't been chased off by Spirit Beasts. But since we've met, it's fate. How about this: I'll take you to awaken your Martial Soul, and you can acknowledge me as your Big Sister, how about that?"

Upon learning that this guy dared to run into the Sunset Forest without even awakening his Martial Soul, Tang Ya was completely shocked. She then ignored his expression and began rambling on about strange things.

"Uh, I don't even know your name yet. Isn't it a bit rash to acknowledge you as my Big Sister?"

Su Qing was stunned by her erratic train of thought. How could she jump from one sentence to the next without any connection? And why was her way of speaking so shocking? What did she mean by "chased off by Spirit Beasts"—why did it sound like she was actually disappointed he hadn't been?

"That's true, too. Let's introduce ourselves first. I'm Tang Ya, and you?"

"Tang Ya?"

Looking at the enthusiastic girl in front of him, Su Qing felt relieved. So it was Tang Ya; that explained everything.

"I'm Su Qing."

Out of politeness, he told her his name. After all, the Tang Sect still existed, and he could indeed go there to awaken his Martial Soul. With Tang Ya as an intermediary, he wouldn't even have to spend money; otherwise, he would have had to take on odd jobs just to afford the awakening.

"Yo, your name is quite nice. Alright, now you're my little brother! Follow me, and I'll take you to awaken your Martial Soul."

After a simple compliment about his name, Tang Ya patted her chest, promising that the awakening was in her hands.

"Alright, Big Sister Ya."

The moment he realized that calling her "Sister" meant he could get his Martial Soul awakened, he couldn't stop grinning.

"Oh, right! If my parents ask where you met me, tell them it was in a village outside Tiandou City. If they ask what I was doing, tell them I was helping an old lady carry her things, got it? Otherwise, something terrible will happen!"

Halfway there, Tang Ya suddenly remembered the need to coordinate their stories. This wasn't something to be careless about; one wrong move and she'd be grounded.

"Understood!"

"Good kid! Big Sister Ya will bless you with a super powerful Martial Soul!"

The two didn't walk for long before they entered Tiandou City.

After Tang Ya sighed at how much Tiandou City had changed compared to nine thousand years ago, she pulled him along and sprinted toward the Tang Sect.

"This Tiandou City is very dangerous. There are always human traffickers looking to snatch children, so don't go to crowded places, okay?"

Su Qing agreed on the surface, but inwardly he couldn't help but lament the current state of the Tang Sect. Knowing the original story, he understood exactly what the human traffickers Tang Ya mentioned meant. Even the young Sect Master could easily be kidnapped as a hostage just by stepping outside. Thinking this, he couldn't help but glance at Tang Ya. If he had the means in the future, he would still reach out to help her, though he certainly wouldn't join the Tang Sect in this life.

As a Spirit Master, Tang Ya was quite fast. After about a quarter of an hour, she pulled Su Qing to the Tang Sect.

Accompanied by the harsh sound of metal grinding due to years of neglect, the gate was pushed open just enough for a gap. Tang Ya snuck in with Su Qing and hurriedly shut the door behind them.

"Ya! Where have you been playing again?"

Before she could even catch her breath, a couple appeared before them. Although they looked like reasonable people at first glance, their faces were currently filled with a hint of anger.

"Cough, cough. Little brother, tell them what I did today!"

Tang Ya steadied herself and gave Su Qing a slight pinch.

Su Qing understood immediately and recited the story they had agreed upon. Hearing this, the anger on their faces vanished, replaced by curiosity about Su Qing's background.

After Tang Ya explained the sequence of events, they both let out a sigh of relief. They had initially suspected he was a spy sent by another sect, but they figured no one would send a child who hadn't even awakened his Martial Soul.

"Since Ya has promised you, we will take care of your awakening."

Tang Lin didn't refuse and immediately led Su Qing to the center of the formation made of awakening stones.

"I want to go too! I want to see what kind of Martial Soul my little brother awakens!"

Tang Ya, always eager to join the fun, wouldn't miss this opportunity. She had never seen anyone else awaken their Martial Soul before.

"Fine, then I'll go prepare some food for you two."

Seeing that he couldn't sway Tang Ya, Tang Rou looked at her with doting eyes before turning toward the kitchen.

"Hehe, you're in for a treat! My mom's cooking is the best!"

"Alright, Ya, stop talking for a moment. I'm going to help Qing awaken his Martial Soul."

Tang Lin waved his hand to quiet Tang Ya, then injected his Spirit Power into the awakening stones, guiding the power within Su Qing's body.

As a refreshing sensation of power filled him, a silver-white spear appeared in Su Qing's hand. But the ritual wasn't over; soon, Su Qing's appearance began to change.

His skin became as fair as snow, his violet eyes were as clear as water, and his hair turned silver-white like moonlight. His long, flowing hair danced in the ripples of Spirit Power, giving him an air of cold elegance, yet mixed with a gentleness that made him look serene and enchanting.

It was a face almost perfectly carved from the template of Gu Yuena, stunning the father and daughter present.

"Hm? Why have you all stopped talking?"

Su Qing was somewhat puzzled. Wasn't this just a martial soul awakening? Why were they so shocked? Could a top-tier tool martial soul really surprise them to this extent? Thinking this, he looked down at the long spear in his hand.

"Huh? Why did it turn silver?"

Not only that, he soon noticed the silver-white strands of hair falling before his eyes.

"What? Why did my hair turn white too?"

Trembling, he turned his head to look at the reflective glass beside him.

"Gu Yuena!"