One Body, Two Souls, World-Shocking Wisdom

As the words fell, the icy aura surrounding Gu Yue suddenly dissipated. Her previously tense back relaxed, and her cold, clear eyes were veiled in a layer of mist.

Her fingertips, which had been focused on scrolling through the screen, curled slightly. She turned slowly to look at Lin Tian as he walked toward her.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice carried an unmistakable sob and joy, a complete transformation from the person she had been moments ago:

"Brother Lin Tian, you've finally come back."

Lin Tian stood frozen in place, unable to react for a moment.

He could not understand why Na'er had changed so drastically; one second she was cold and sharp, calling him blind, and the next she was this aggrieved, dependent creature.

Could it be that his abduction had truly traumatized her, causing her mental state to fracture?

"Na'er, are you alright?"

Lin Tian hurried to her side and touched her forehead. "I thought you had been traumatized, so..."

Before Lin Tian could finish, Na'er lunged into his arms. Her small body trembled slightly, her hands clutching his neck tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder, her scalding tears instantly soaking his shirt.

"I, I'm fine. I was just worried about you, Brother."

Na'er's voice was muffled, thick with tears. "I thought you would never come back. They said you were taken by an Evil Soul Master. Evil Soul Masters are so fierce, I was so scared."

Lin Tian's heart softened at these words, and he raised a hand to pat her back in comfort.

He could clearly feel the fear and dependency of the little girl in his arms, and the strangeness of a moment ago was washed away by this display of genuine emotion.

He had no way of knowing that while Gu Yue occupied the body, Na'er's consciousness had been watching everything from the outside—she and Gu Yue shared a single body, forced to swap at a set time, switching every day at noon sharp.

But when Gu Yue was in control, her own consciousness remained in the Mental Sea, able to see everything that happened, including the cold words Gu Yue had just directed at Lin Tian.

Before Lin Tian had picked her up, Na'er had been drifting, and no one had ever treated her so well: giving her food, bringing her home, and even being willing to face an Evil Soul Master for her sake, eventually getting captured to protect her.

This gratitude had long since been deeply branded into Na'er's heart, capturing her innocent soul.

In her consciousness, she had prayed countless times for Lin Tian's safety, and seeing him return unharmed now, she was moved to tears.

When Lin Tian asked her what was wrong, she wanted so badly to tell him everything and have him help her find a solution, but she dared not.

Gu Yue had previously warned her not to speak of their shared existence, or she would do terrible things to Lin Tian.

She was terrified that something would happen to Lin Tian, terrified that Gu Yue would harm him.

Though she did not know who she was, she knew clearly that Gu Yue was not normal; this second soul of hers was filled with strangeness.

Thus, she could only protect Lin Tian in her own way. Feeling aggrieved, she simply hugged him tighter.

"Alright, alright, don't cry. Isn't Brother back now?"

Lin Tian gently wiped the tears from her face, his tone filled with doting affection. Na'er was just like a little kitten; she was simply too adorable.

"Brother is coming back this time to take you to live a good life.

I have apprenticed myself to a very powerful teacher, so we won't have to suffer here anymore. How about you come with me to the Spirit Pagoda?"

Lin Tian had selfish motives for saying this, and his intentions were as obvious as a man walking down the street.

He was simply worried that if Na'er stayed in Proud Arrival City, she would encounter Tang Wulin and their fated bond would begin.

By taking Na'er away early and moving her off her original path, perhaps he could change the original plot and keep her by his side forever.

"Okay, I'll go with Brother."

The girl immediately looked up, a simple smile on her face, and agreed without hesitation.

To her, as long as she could stay by Lin Tian's side, it didn't matter where they went.

Lin Tian was overjoyed and immediately began to pack the meager belongings in the house.

Na'er's things were ridiculously simple, as she barely had any clothes at all.

Then, Lin Tian took her small hand and walked out of the wooden hut, heading toward a spot by the sea.

Na'er did not ask where he was taking her, just followed him quietly until they reached a secluded coconut grove.

In the center of the grove stood the tombstone of Lin Tian's parents.

Their remains had long since been cremated and scattered into the ocean; this was merely a marker, so its location by the sea was fitting.

The tide rose here every day, submerging the area. This was the funeral custom of the sea-folk in Proud Arrival City—born of the sea, died in the sea, buried in the sea, accompanied by the daily ebb and flow of the tides.

The anniversary of Lin Tian's parents' death was the day after his martial soul awakening, which was the reason he had stayed behind for an extra day.

Having been delayed for so long, this was a belated visit.

Lin Tian knelt down before his parents' grave without hesitation and kowtowed several times: "Father, Mother, your son has been eating well and has not gone hungry. The thing you worried about most before you died did not happen.

A few days ago, my martial soul awakened. I awakened Twin Martial Souls, and in the future, I can become a top-tier powerhouse and bring honor to our ancestors.

I won't speak of sad things; your son is off to live a good life, and when I return next year, I will surely be successful and glorious.

I am burning paper money for you today, and tomorrow I will burn all sorts of good things for you.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, this is the little sister I picked up. Her name is Na'er, and from now on, we are a family."

Deep within the Mental Sea, Gu Yue scoffed: "Who is a family with you?

A noble existence such as this King is not something a lowly human beggar like you can cling to."

"Just you wait, This Seat will definitely make Na'er dump a low-born wretch like you."

Though she said as much, seeing Lin Tian's earnest expression as he paid his respects, she couldn't help but feel a stir of emotion: Is this the joy and sorrow of humanity?

Unfortunately, the joys and sorrows of people are not shared, let alone those of a soul beast.

She could not understand Lin Tian's feelings, nor could she empathize with him.

At the same time, however, Han Tianyi and Leng Yaozhu, hovering in the sky above, wore expressions of deep reflection.

They had heard before that the little fellow had delayed his arrival by a day just to pay respects to his parents, which was how he ended up being targeted by Shrek.

Seeing him go straight to pay his respects to his parents the moment he returned, a look of appreciation appeared on Han Tianyi's face: "This little fellow, though he has lived a hard life, has a good character."

He was becoming more and more satisfied with this disciple; talent and the like were secondary, as long as his moral character was sound.

The rumors Shrek had spread back then were truly laughable. His disciple was a righteous soul who had been willing to die for the safety of everyone in Proud Arrival City, and possessed such a kind heart—he was truly a rare find.

Na'er did not understand what Lin Tian was doing at the moment, but she simply followed along, burning paper money with him.

Once finished, Lin Tian wiped away his tears and stood up immediately: "Let's go, let's go live a good life."