I followed the direction Xiao Wu was pointing.
Aside from the little road leading to Notting City, there was nothing but an ordinary stretch of wasteland.
The wasteland was overgrown with the most common... foxtail grass.
"What's so special about foxtail grass?"
Li Hao looked puzzled.
He seriously suspected that this little one had only just taken human form and hadn't fully developed yet. Everything she saw seemed new to her.
"It's different."
Xiao Wu shook her head in his arms, her little face full of earnestness.
"Daddy, I can sense that plant's aura. It's very special. I've never seen it before."
Never seen it before?
Li Hao muttered to himself.
You're a hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit, and you've never even seen foxtail grass?
Star Dou Forest was so vast. How could it be missing something like this?
Though he grumbled inwardly, he couldn't bring himself to refuse when he saw the longing curiosity in his daughter's big eyes.
"All right, all right, my little princess."
"Daddy will take you to see it."
He sighed in resignation, holding the soft little girl in his arms as he headed toward the wasteland.
The first step in fatherhood: taking his daughter to look at grass.
Grass...
What was this nonsense!
In the distance, most of the villagers had already dispersed. Only Tang San was still standing there.
His dark eyes were fixed on Li Hao's retreating figure.
He had seen Li Hao carry that girl toward the wasteland outside the village.
What had that fleeting crimson halo been?
And that girl...
Tang San's instincts told him that some earth-shattering change had happened to Li Hao, and that it was definitely connected to her.
The lazy good-for-nothing from Holy Soul Village was no longer the low-level innate Soul Power user who could be dismissed out of hand.
"This world is much more dangerous than I imagined."
"My Tang Sect Secret Arts and Innate Full Soul Power haven't given me an absolute advantage!"
"Cultivate! I have to get stronger faster!"
Tang San's gaze turned razor-sharp.
"Starting today, I'll double my Mysterious Heaven Skill training!"
"No! As long as I'm awake, I won't stop for even a moment!"
He clenched his fists, turned, and hurried toward his family's blacksmith shop.
On the wasteland by the river,
the wind swept through the foxtail grass, making whole swathes sway.
Li Hao set Xiao Wu down.
The little one immediately darted into the grass on her short legs, like a rabbit discovering a new world.
She leaned close to a stalk of foxtail grass and carefully touched its fuzzy head with her soft, pale finger.
"Daddy, it's smiling at me!"
Xiao Wu looked up and called to Li Hao in delight.
Li Hao's mouth twitched.
Smiling? The wind was blowing it.
However, the moment Xiao Wu's finger touched the foxtail grass,
a cold mechanical voice rang without warning in Li Hao's mind!
[Unknown spiritual unit detected. The host and Soul Beast Girl are in contact with it!]
[System functions upgrading...]
[Congratulations, host. New function unlocked: All-Things Illustrated Handbook!]
Li Hao froze.
All-Things Illustrated Handbook?
What was that supposed to be?
Before he could ask, the system's notification sounded again.
[All-Things Illustrated Handbook activated. It can record and analyze organisms touched by the Soul Beast Girl, revealing their essence and potential value.]
[New entry unlocked: Foxtail Grass (Common)]
[Analysis: A common grass-family plant found everywhere. Hardy, with no Soul Power and no special value.]
[However, it cannot grow in high-energy environments such as Star Dou Forest due to energy exclusion. Therefore, to high-tier Soul Beasts, it is a rare species.]
After reading the analysis, Li Hao understood.
So that was it!
It wasn't that foxtail grass was particularly impressive. It was just a rare curiosity to Xiao Wu, a homebody who had spent a hundred thousand years in the core region of Star Dou Forest!
So she was a rich girl trying out the hardships of life. No wonder even roadside foxtail grass seemed so novel to her.
By then, Xiao Wu had happily plucked a stalk of foxtail grass. She held it high like a precious offering and ran over to Li Hao.
"Daddy! This is for you!"
Xiao Wu cupped the foxtail grass in both hands and held it high, as if presenting him with a priceless treasure.
She rose onto her toes and lifted her pale little face, her bright, watery eyes full of anticipation.
Li Hao looked at the weed in her hands and couldn't help wondering.
That's it?
You call this a treasure?
But when his eyes met his daughter's pure, flawless gaze, every teasing remark caught in his throat.
Forget it.
As long as she was happy.
Rather than dismiss it, he crouched down solemnly until he was eye to eye with Xiao Wu.
"Of course Daddy likes the treasure our Xiao Wu found."
Li Hao took the stalks of foxtail grass and deftly wove them together.
Before long, a rough but recognizable grass crown took shape in his hands.
"Wow!"
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at once, and her little mouth formed an O.
"Daddy, you're so amazing!"
Suppressing a laugh, Li Hao solemnly placed the foxtail-grass crown on Xiao Wu's head.
"This is Princess Xiao Wu's crown. Do you like it?"
"I love it! Thank you, Daddy!"
Xiao Wu carefully touched the crown on her head, her eyes narrowing with happiness. She gave him a big smacking kiss on the cheek.
Feeling the warmth of her soft lips against his cheek, Li Hao's heart melted completely.
Raising a daughter... didn't seem so bad?
Early the next morning, Li Hao was woken by the little one squirming in his arms.
He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a delicate little face.
Xiao Wu was still fast asleep, her little mouth pursed. One scorpion braid lay loose on the pillow, and a few strands of hair had mischievously stuck to her soft, pale cheek.
Li Hao shifted and felt more energized than ever before.
Soul Power Level 10 really was something else.
This felt far more effective than spending the past two weeks lying around and basking in the sun.
"Morning, Daddy."
Xiao Wu rubbed her eyes and sat up. She naturally opened her arms, asking to be picked up.
Li Hao picked her up with practiced ease, though his mind was already on something else.
If he remembered right, today was the day Tang San went to register at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Should he go take a look?
The thought had barely entered his mind when it refused to leave.
In his past life on Blue Star, he could only watch the story through a screen, in a novel or anime.
Now he had a chance to see it live—in ultra-clear, uncensored 3D. He might as well go.
He'd treat it as a trip down memory lane and enjoy the spectacle while he was at it.
"Xiao Wu, do you want to go into the city with Daddy?"
"The city?"
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
"Is there a place with lots and lots of people, and lots and lots of grass?"
Li Hao thought about Notting City's greenery.
"There are lots of people. As for grass... probably not as much as outside our village."
"Then I'm going too! Wherever you go, Daddy, I'll go!"
Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her little head against him.
"Then let's go."
Li Hao carried Xiao Wu, locked the door, and headed toward Notting City.
His first day as a dad, taking his kid on an outing. Destination: Nuoding Academy, to watch the protagonist.
The entrance to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was already packed with people.
Carriages and ox carts clogged the road. Parents in all kinds of clothes had brought their newly six-year-old children, their faces filled with nervousness and anticipation.
"Make way, make way! Don't block my son's path. He has Soul Power Level 3!"
"What's Level 3? My daughter has a Beast Martial Soul, a Nether Wolf! She's bound to be powerful!"
Noisy chatter and boasts rose and fell through the crowd.
Carrying Xiao Wu, Li Hao easily squeezed into a corner and sat on a clean rock.
It was a perfect vantage point: he could see the whole registration area without being crushed by the crowd.
A professional spot for watching the show.
"Daddy, they're so noisy."
Xiao Wu covered her ears, her little body curled up in Li Hao's arms.
"Don't be scared. Just watch the show."
As if by magic, Li Hao pulled a string of bright red candied hawthorns from his clothes and handed it to Xiao Wu.
The little one's attention immediately shifted. She stuck out her tongue and cautiously licked one. Her eyes narrowed at the sweetness.
Li Hao, meanwhile, leisurely surveyed the registration area.
Several long tables stood at the academy entrance. A few teachers in academy uniforms were receiving the new students.
At their head was a kind-looking old man with gray hair and crystal glasses: Ma Xiunuo, the Martial Soul appraisal master of Nuoding Academy.
Just then, a small commotion stirred through the crowd.
An old man leaning on a cane, dressed plainly but still spry, was leading a black-haired boy and struggling to push through the crowd.
Here they came.
Li Hao's attention turned their way.
It was Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village, with Tang San beside him.
Tang San wore old clothes washed pale, but his back was straight.
His little face showed no unnecessary emotion, setting him apart from the other children his age, who were excited or nervous.
His deep eyes, far too mature for a six-year-old, calmly examined everything before him.
"Grandpa Jack, this is the place."
Tang San reminded the panting Old Jack.
"Good! Let Teacher Ma test you."
Old Jack wiped his sweat and rubbed his hands nervously. He was more excited than he'd been on his own wedding day.
Li Hao watched the scene with interest.
"Child, hold out your right hand."
Ma Xiunuo said kindly.
Tang San did as he was told, calmly holding out his right hand.
Whoosh.
A soft blue light appeared in his palm. Then a seemingly ordinary, even somewhat frail, little blue plant rested quietly there.
"Blue Silver Grass?"
Ma Xiunuo's face revealed disappointment he could barely hide.
He shook his head regretfully, but still followed the procedure and gestured for Tang San to have his Soul Power tested.
"Put your hand on this."
Tang San placed his hand on the blue crystal ball.
The next second.
Buzz!
The entire crystal ball erupted in dazzling blue light, so brilliant that everyone nearby instinctively squinted.
"This... this is..."
The cup in Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo's hand clattered to the floor.
He sprang up from his chair, grabbed Tang San's hand, and stared fixedly at the crystal ball, which looked ready to explode from its own light.
Trembling, he summoned every ounce of strength and shouted the result that was enough to shock the entire room.
"Inn... Innate Full Soul Power!"
"Oh my heavens! It's Innate Full Soul Power!"
Boom!
The entire registration hall erupted.
"Did I hear that right? Innate Full Soul Power?"
"He has Blue Silver Grass, yet he's got Innate Full Soul Power? How is that possible!"
"What a pity, what a shame! Why does he have to have Blue Silver Grass? If he had a tool-type Martial Soul—even a sickle—his future would be limitless!"
Envy, jealousy, regret, disbelief...
Everyone's chatter swelled into a mighty roar, engulfing Tang San and Old Jack.
Tang San remained calm, but the slight press of his lips still betrayed the turmoil within him.
Watching this iconic scene, Li Hao felt nothing at all. He even wanted to laugh a little.
Here it comes, here it comes—the famous scene, recreated.
Ma Xiunuo's expression and lines were exactly the same as in the original. His performance was spot-on.
Li Hao lounged against the rock, casually wiping the sugar from the corner of Xiao Wu's mouth, then pinching her little cheek.
If you were going to watch the show, you had to look the part.
Be professional.
And just as the whole room was caught up in its shock and regret over the Blue Silver Grass genius,
a soft, clear child's voice rang out without warning.
It wasn't loud, but it carried distinctly into every corner of the now-quiet room.
"Daddy, that grass is so ugly."
Xiao Wu took a bite of her candied hawthorn, her cheeks puffed out.
She tilted her little head and pointed at the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand, loudly sharing her opinion.
"It's not even as pretty as the foxtail grass by our front door!"
Whoosh!
The world fell silent in an instant.
The noisy chatter cut off abruptly.
Everyone froze.
Hundreds of eyes shifted in unison from the genius Tang San to the little girl in the corner, clutching her candied hawthorn and speaking without a filter, and the lazy-looking dad beside her.
The air seemed to freeze in that moment.
Tang San's face, which had remained calm throughout, visibly darkened.
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