Half an hour later.
"Phew... phew..."
Lin Qing's breathing finally steadied.
The veins beneath his skin gradually faded.
His muscles stopped tearing.
His bones stopped groaning.
That violent energy had finally been completely tamed, slowly merging into his limbs and bones, becoming his own strength.
"I succeeded?"
Lin Qing murmured, his voice frighteningly hoarse.
He tried to circulate his Soul Power.
"Buzz!"
Two Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.
One purple, one deep purple!
"I really did it!"
Lin Qing's eyes lit up as he immediately sensed the surging Soul Power within him.
"Level twenty-four!"
"Ha ha ha..."
Lin Qing could not help laughing aloud, his laughter filled with excitement.
It had been far too difficult!
Absorbing a Soul Ring that exceeded the age limit by so many years—the dangers involved were something only he, who had experienced them, could understand.
But in the end, he had endured.
Lin Qing's gaze flickered. With a thought, his second Soul Ring lit up.
Deep purple radiance instantly illuminated the entire room.
Second Soul Skill—Metal Manipulation!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The iron nails on the table, the copper clasps on the window frame, and every other metal object in the room floated into the air.
Under Lin Qing's Spiritual Power, they spun, combined, and reshaped themselves above his palm.
It was as easy as moving his own arm!
"It really is Sun Moon Lin Qing's Soul Skill!"
Lin Qing's eyes shone even brighter.
He attempted finer control, condensing several pieces together into a simple little knife.
Then he controlled the knife as it danced through the air, tracing streaks of cold light.
"For offense, I can use it as throwing knives."
"For defense, I can form metal shields."
"For control, I can bind enemies with metal chains."
"And..."
Lin Qing looked toward a point in the air.
As Metal Manipulation was activated at full force, metallic elements in the air slowly gathered, condensing into a metal pellet the size of a marble.
Though tiny, it truly was creating something from nothing!
"It can even condense metallic elements from the air. Maybe I can even use Spiritual Power to carve Soul Engineer cores."
Lin Qing gave it a try, but quickly gave up.
"My experience as a Soul Engineer isn't sufficient yet. I can't do it for now. I'll have to learn slowly."
Even so, the value of this Soul Skill was already immeasurable.
"The relic I got from Sun Moon Lin Qing really solved my most urgent problem."
Lin Qing withdrew his Soul Skill.
The metal objects fell back into place one after another.
He stood up and stretched his body, filled with a refreshing sense of power.
"Now that Priest, that old pervert, is taken care of and I have nothing to worry about, I can finally show my real face."
No more disguising himself with an ordinary appearance, no more worrying about being targeted by perverts. He could walk openly beneath the sunlight.
One major goal—and one knot in his heart—had finally been resolved.
"Next, it's time to pick up Er Ni."
A gentle smile curved across Lin Qing's lips.
He rather missed that silly girl.
Besides, Er Ni might be needed for what he planned next.
Two days later.
Emperor Soul Village.
Lin Qing walked along the familiar dirt road, breathing in the familiar air as complicated emotions rose in his heart.
He had been gone for two years.
The village had not changed much. The same shabby thatched cottages stood there, along with the same familiar villagers.
But Lin Qing himself had changed far too much.
The strengthening from three pieces of Ten-Thousand Year Whale Rubber had made him much taller and straighter.
Though only eight years old, he already looked like a ten-year-old child.
His skin was fair, and his features were delicate.
Especially those blue eyes of his, clear enough to seem capable of reflecting the sky.
Together with his clean, neat clothes, he was utterly different from the ragged orphan of two years ago.
"Lin Qing?!"
A surprised voice came from nearby.
Lin Qing turned to look.
It was Er Gouzi!
Two years had passed, and Er Gouzi had grown quite a bit taller too, but that dark face of his was still as familiar as ever.
At that moment, he was staring wide-eyed at Lin Qing, looking him up and down with unfamiliarity and... confusion in his gaze.
"Y-you're Lin Qing?"
Er Gouzi asked uncertainly.
Lin Qing smiled.
"What, you don't recognize me after two years?"
"It really is you?!"
Er Gouzi's eyes widened even further.
"You've changed way too much! I almost didn't recognize you!"
He moved closer and examined him carefully.
"You're taller, fairer, and... better-looking."
At those last three words, Er Gouzi curled his lips.
He was clearly still a little bitter about it.
After all, his sister liked Lin Qing so much that it drove this sister-obsessed boy crazy.
"Where's your sister?"
Lin Qing asked with a smile.
"She's inside."
Er Gouzi pointed toward his family's courtyard.
The moment he finished speaking—
"Lin Qing?! Is that you, Xiao Qing?"
A delighted cry came from the courtyard.
Immediately afterward, a figure ran out at top speed.
It was Er Ni.
Two years had passed, and Er Ni had grown up as well.
The twelve-year-old girl had become slender and graceful.
Though she wore a rough cloth dress, it could not hide her natural prettiness.
Her features had grown more refined. Despite years of labor, her skin retained a healthy glow, and her figure had begun to take on a young girl's curves.
At that moment, she stood before Lin Qing and stared at him.
Her eyes were red, her lips trembling. She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Only... tears fell drop by drop.
"Big Sister Er Ni."
Lin Qing spoke softly.
"I'm back."
"Wah... Xiao Qing!"
Er Ni could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Lin Qing's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, unwilling to let go at all.
"I thought you weren't coming back..."
She cried, her voice choked with sobs.
"It's been two years. There wasn't even a single message. I thought... I thought you..."
"You thought I was dead?"
Lin Qing smiled and patted her back.
"Don't worry. I'm tough enough to survive anything. But you..."
He loosened his embrace and carefully looked Er Ni over.
"You've grown up. And you've become prettier too."
Er Ni's face reddened. She lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
"What nonsense are you saying..."
Yet the corners of her lips could not help rising.
At the side, Er Gouzi watched the scene and curled his lips. He wanted to say something, but eventually swallowed the words.
He might have been obsessed with his sister.
But seeing Lin Qing and Er Ni standing together... they truly looked like a perfect match.
He sighed and turned to head inside.
Out of sight, out of mind.
That evening.
Aunt Li's family prepared a lavish dinner to welcome Lin Qing home.
At the table, Aunt Li looked at Lin Qing with such delight that her eyes narrowed into crescents.
That look clearly said she was looking at her own fine future son-in-law, and she could not have been more satisfied!
"Xiao Qing, where have you been these past two years? How have you been?"
"I was in Suotuo City, learning a few skills."
Lin Qing answered vaguely.
"Oh, Suotuo City! A big city!"
Aunt Li nodded repeatedly. "Promising! So promising!"
As she spoke, she placed a huge piece of meat into Lin Qing's bowl.
"Eat more. Look how thin you are."
"Thank you, Aunt Li."
Lin Qing accepted it with a smile.
Er Gouzi pouted. "Mom, I'm thin too. Give me a piece as well."
Aunt Li's expression instantly changed.
"If you want some, pick it up yourself. It's not like I stopped you from eating. What, you don't have hands?"
Er Gouzi immediately became unhappy.
"But Lin Qing has hands too!"
"Go on, go on. Can you compare to Xiao Qing? Just eat your food!"
Lin Qing greatly enjoyed this warm, everyday atmosphere.
No matter how strong he became, he still liked this feeling.
Er Ni sat beside him, stealing glances at him from time to time, her eyes brimming with joy.
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