After a dizzying whirl, Ye Tian returned to the familiar Mental Space.
The moment he appeared, Dong'er's spirit followed right after. She stared at Ye Tian without even blinking.
"What, stunned speechless?" Ye Tian teased the little girl, who had grown much taller.
"Big Brother Ye Tian!"
Only when Ye Tian spoke did Dong'er finally believe this wasn't a dream. She let out a cheer and rushed straight into his arms, wrapping both arms tightly around him. She basked in the warmth of his long-missed embrace, silent for a long, long while.
"Our Dong'er has grown so tall. At this rate, next time you'll be a grown young lady." After comforting the girl for a while, Ye Tian patted her head and teased her.
"I'm really strong now! No one at the orphanage can beat me!" Dong'er tipped her chin up, her face practically begging for praise.
"Very impressive, very impressive."
Dong'er climbed out of Ye Tian's arms but kept both hands firmly wrapped around his arm, afraid he might suddenly disappear again. She chattered away about everything that had happened since Ye Tian's last departure.
Only then did Ye Tian learn that the seven days he'd spent dreaming in his world had already been half a year for Dong'er. No wonder the little girl was so attached to him.
"Big Brother Ye Tian, Aunt Lan said someone from Spirit Hall is coming tomorrow to guide us through awakening our Martial Souls."
"Big Brother Ye Tian, what is a Martial Soul?"
"Awakening your Martial Soul determines whether you'll be an ordinary person or a peerless expert who reaches the summit."
"Do you remember that old wolf we killed before?"
Dong'er nodded. "You said that white ring was a Soul Ring, Big Brother Ye Tian."
"That's right. After awakening, Soul Masters can absorb one Soul Ring every ten levels. How many years a Soul Ring can have depends on the Soul Master's strength and physique."
Ye Tian patiently broke down everything about Martial Souls for Dong'er. He talked until nightfall; if he hadn't pretended to get angry, the girl still wouldn't have wanted to sleep.
After coaxing the little girl to sleep, Ye Tian learned from the system that he would be staying this time for fifteen days. Fortunately, in his own world, the end of his dream would mean that only one night had passed.
Yun Shu began pondering how to plan Dong'er's cultivation after her awakening.
First came her physique. Along with daily physical training, he could arrange medicinal baths and things like Whale Rubber.
Come to think of it, Whale Rubber would work for him, too!
Those two master and disciple had made Yun Shu so angry that he'd nearly forgotten about this treasure. No one knew Whale Rubber could improve one's physique; people only used it for bedroom matters.
What a waste of a treasure!
Ye Tian opened the Mall and searched for Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber. Its price appeared almost immediately.
A single pound of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber cost him a whopping 1,000 Fate Points!
He searched for a cultivation technique similar to the Tang Sect's, and that only cost 800 Fate Points.
This system was such a rip-off!
In the end, he looked at the 3,600 Fate Points he had left and gritted his teeth, exchanging them for a technique worth 3,000.
This technique, called Nine-Turn Spirit Refining, cultivated 1.5 times faster than Tang San's technique. Each completed turn would refine the spirit, and in the end, a nine-story pagoda would stand in the mind to protect the soul.
The final description of the technique stated: Once fully mastered, Nine-Turn Spirit Refining cannot be broken unless the attacker is two ranks above the host.
On Douluo Continent, two ranks meant a difference of twenty levels. But as long as Dong'er could cultivate to the Titled Douluo level, her soul would be safe forever.
Besides, after exchanging for the technique, he could teach it to two people. That meant learning it himself had only cost 1,800 Fate Points—not too much of a loss.
When Dong'er woke up, Ye Tian took out the Skill Transmission Jade Slip. As she rushed over, he pressed it directly against her forehead. The next second, Dong'er immediately fell into a state of sudden enlightenment.
After a long while, Dong'er finally opened her eyes, curiosity sparkling in them.
"Big Brother Ye Tian, what was that in my head just now?"
"It was a cultivation technique. You're awakening your Martial Soul today, aren't you? Think of it as a gift from Big Brother Ye Tian in advance. This is something only you can know about. You can't tell anyone else, okay?"
"Mm-hmm, I understand."
Dong'er still wanted to talk with Big Brother Ye Tian for a while, but suddenly she heard Aunt Lan calling from outside.
"Dong'er?"
"Dong'er, are you still not up? Hurry and eat breakfast! The people from Spirit Hall will be here soon!"
"I'm up, Aunt Lan!"
After answering the call from outside, Dong'er waved at Ye Tian.
"Big Brother Ye Tian, let's talk again later!"
Through Dong'er's eyes, Ye Tian watched her eat breakfast, then go with the other six-year-old children as Aunt Lan led them to a reception room.
They had only been inside for a little while when a young man of about thirty pushed open the door and entered.
"Lord Mo, thank you for coming to the orphanage. These children have all reached the age this year." Seeing him, Aunt Lan hurried forward to greet him warmly.
"Aunt Lan, why call me Lord Mo? Just call me Xiao Mo like you did when I was a child."
Lord Mo smiled and chatted with the children. It turned out that he, too, had once been an orphanage child and had grown up under Aunt Lan's care.
After Lord Mo shared his story, the girls looked at him with a little more warmth.
"Now, starting with whoever is closest to me, come up one by one and place your hand on the crystal."
Lord Mo took out a crystal ball and poured Soul Power into it.
The children exchanged glances, then lined up and stepped forward in turn. Since Dong'er was farthest away, she stood at the end.
"Martial Soul: hoe. Innate Soul Power: level 0. Unable to cultivate."
"Martial Soul: rusty sword. Innate Soul Power: level 1. Unable to cultivate."
As one child after another failed, Lord Mo's eyes showed a trace of regret. As expected, the odds of finding a genius among ordinary people were far too low.
Soon, it was Dong'er's turn. She stepped forward and placed her palm on the crystal ball. The next second, dazzling light burst across its surface.
Dong'er felt as if something inside her was being drawn out, surging toward the crystal ball.
The next moment, a fearsome giant spider appeared above the crystal ball.
Lord Mo stared excitedly at the blinding crystal ball in his hand, then examined Dong'er and the Martial Soul above her. His voice trembled with excitement.
"Innate Full Soul Power—and this Martial Soul is the legendary Death Spider Emperor!"
"Child, what is your name?"
"D-Dong'er."
"Xiao Mo, calm down! You're frightening Dong'er!"
Aunt Lan snatched Dong'er away from Lord Mo and glared at him.
How old was he, acting so excitable? Had he forgotten that Dong'er was only six?
Lord Mo repeatedly apologized and rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed.
"Aunt Lan, Dong'er has an excellent gift. I'll report this to my superiors. She may even get the chance to study in the Holy City."
"I know."
Aunt Lan gave him a perfunctory reply, then held Dong'er and comforted her. "Don't be scared, Dong'er. Xiao Mo just got too excited."
Dong'er murmured softly and lowered her gaze. Beneath her lowered lashes, she remained as calm as ever.
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