Practical Martial Souls, Return to Fish Village

After finishing his cultivation, Yu Yan took the pillow from the bed and made a bedroll on the floor.

Xiao Wu would sleep on the bed while he slept on the floor. That had been agreed upon that afternoon.

Xiao Wu had actually suggested that they sleep in the bed together. They were both still young, so there was no need for Yu Yan to sleep on the hard floor. They could put a pillow between them as a boundary and simply not cross it.

The moment she made that suggestion, Yu Yan rejected it on the grounds that men and women should keep their distance.

Although he and Xiao Wu were indeed six years old now, Yu Yan could not treat himself as a six-year-old. His soul belonged to an adult. Even if keeping Xiao Wu by his side meant he had ulterior motives toward her, what he had in mind was only letting affection develop over time.

Yu Yan still possessed the most basic morality, instilled in him through nine years of compulsory education.

"Yu Yan, the room is so hot. Can you summon the Ice Fish and release some cold air to cool it down?"

It was early summer. Xiao Wu lay on the bed, too hot to fall asleep, and asked Yu Yan for help.

Summer nights were not cool, and the stifling heat in Balaque City was even worse than in Fish Village, as though the blazing height of summer had already arrived.

Yu Yan remembered that this was probably the urban heat island effect they had discussed in geography class.

"Mm."

Feeling rather hot himself, Yu Yan got up and closed the window. He summoned the Ice and Fire Twin Fish, suppressed the Fire Fish, and stimulated the cold aura within the Ice Fish.

Before long, cool air filled the small room.

"This cool feeling... Yu Yan, your Martial Soul is truly perfect."

Feeling the refreshing chill around her, Xiao Wu immediately burrowed beneath the covers, leaving only her head exposed.

In the sweltering summer, running the air conditioner while tucked beneath a blanket—only someone who had experienced it could understand that comfort.

"Don't wrap yourself up too tightly. I can't keep this cold air going forever. When it dissipates later tonight and you wake up from the heat, don't blame me."

As Xiao Wu burrowed under the covers, Yu Yan gave her a kind reminder. Waking up from the heat in the middle of summer was not a pleasant experience.

"Can you freeze something in this room? Then I won't wake up from the heat."

Faced with this problem, Xiao Wu put her clever mind to work and quickly came up with a very good solution.

"That's not a bad idea. Go fetch two buckets of water. I'll freeze the water in them. If I freeze it solid enough, it should last through the night."

Prompted by Xiao Wu, Yu Yan immediately understood what to do and instructed her to fetch two buckets of water.

"Ah~~, Yu Yan, can you go instead?"

Xiao Wu, lying on the bed and unwilling to move, shamelessly acted cute toward Yu Yan, hoping he would go himself.

Yu Yan ignored her coquettish behavior. "No. I make the ice, and you fetch the water. That's perfectly reasonable. With the time you've spent scheming against me here, you could have brought the water back already."

Xiao Wu gave a cold snort, quickly got up, went outside, and carried two buckets of water back in.

Yu Yan poured Soul Power into the Ice Fish and guided its energy-form body into the buckets.

Under the influence of the Ice Fish's cold aura, the water in the buckets visibly condensed into ice, gradually transforming into solid ice that would not melt easily.

The cold aura radiated by the solid ice brought the two of them a cool night.

When they woke the next morning, Xiao Wu felt the lingering coolness in the room and once again marveled at the practicality of Yu Yan's Martial Soul.

Back in Fish Village, Xiao Wu had seen Yu Yan use the Fire Fish to light fires and cook. Now, she had seen how the Ice Fish could bring coolness in summer.

For a moment, Xiao Wu wanted to swap her Martial Soul with Yu Yan's, so Yu Yan could be the one carrying water.

After staying in Balaque City for a day, the merchant caravan finished disposing of its goods, purchased another batch of merchandise, and set off for Suotuo City.

Two days later, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu returned safely to Fish Village.

At the entrance to Fish Village, Yu Yan saw Old Man Yu, who had long been waiting there.

When Old Man Yu learned from Yu Yan that Xiao Wu also possessed seven and a half levels of Soul Power and examined her Martial Soul Awakening Certificate, he laughed so hard that he nearly failed to catch his breath and passed away.

"Grandpa Yu, can't you calm down a little? If we sent you off just like that, Xiao Wu and I would feel guilty for the rest of our lives."

Patting Old Man Yu on the back, Yu Yan deliberately said something inappropriate, hoping to make him at least a little angry and stop laughing.

The image of Old Man Yu laughing until he choked was still fresh in his mind. Yu Yan was genuinely a little scared.

"Fish Village produced two Soul Masters all at once. Of course I'm happy! From now on, our village will have three Soul Masters. That's a great honor for our ancestors."

At that point, Old Man Yu seemed to remember something.

"Little Yan, Xiao Wu, I heard that there's a village in Fasinuo Province that changed its name to Holy Soul Village after producing a Soul Saint. You two must cultivate diligently. I also want to rename our village something like Holy Soul Village."

For an ordinary village to produce a Soul Saint-level powerhouse was an honor.

To rename the village under the witness of that Soul Saint, and have them leave a handprint on the stone monument at the village entrance, was an even greater honor.

After hearing that story, Old Man Yu had eagerly hoped that someone like that would emerge from Fish Village as well.

"Grandpa Yu, don't worry. Once I become a Title Douluo, you can rename the village Title Douluo Village. Doesn't that sound much more impressive than Holy Soul Village?"

Xiao Wu was confident that she could cultivate to the level of a Title Douluo, and she had developed some sense of belonging toward Fish Village. In her view, Holy Soul Village did not sound impressive at all.

"Hahahaha! If I can live to see that day, I'll die without regrets."

Old Man Yu was successfully coaxed into hearty laughter by Xiao Wu's words.

"Grandpa Yu, stop laughing. I'm really afraid you'll choke on your laughter again like before."

Seeing Old Man Yu laugh louder and louder, Yu Yan lightly patted him on the back and continued saying inappropriate things.

"Go on, go on. Can't you wish me well? Before Fish Village gets renamed, this old man won't die. This is the only wish I have left in life."

Old Man Yu waved his hand dismissively, the smile on his face not fading in the slightest.

Once Little Yan and Xiao Wu both become Soul Saints, I'll rename Fish Village Twin Saint Village and have them leave their handprints and signatures on the stone monument at the entrance.

Twin Saint Village... Hahahaha, what a wonderful name.

Thinking of that beautiful future, Old Man Yu began laughing heartily again.

Seeing Old Man Yu laugh louder and louder, Yu Yan prepared to discuss something serious with him to divert his attention.

"Right, Grandpa Yu, Fish Village's Work-Study Student quota has already been used by me. Xiao Wu needs to attend school too now that she has become a Soul Master. I want to ask which nearby village still has an unused Work-Study Student quota, so I can borrow it for Xiao Wu."

"I know the village chiefs of the surrounding villages quite well. You two just stay home and cultivate properly. Leave this small matter to me."

Old Man Yu waved a hand grandly and took the matter upon himself.

Another reason Old Man Yu took it upon himself was to prevent other villages from snatching them away—and to show off a little in those other villages.

Returning home without glory was like walking at night in fine clothes.