Xue Mingqing fell silent for a moment.
He saw a faint hint of expectation in Xue Ningxian's emerald-green eyes.
In an instant, he seemed to understand. Someone must have told Xue Ningxian about how he had used the Snow Sword against Ling Gui.
That was why Xue Ningxian was curious whether he possessed Twin Martial Souls.
Having figured this out, Xue Mingqing could only laugh helplessly and shake his head. He said gently,
"No, Mother. I don't have Twin Martial Souls."
At that, Xue Ningxian raised an eyebrow.
She folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning somewhat deeper.
If she did not know that Xue Mingqing had no reason to deceive her, she might even have thought that he did not trust her.
But—
The more certain she was that Xue Mingqing could not possibly be lying to her, the more puzzled Xue Ningxian became.
She clearly remembered that Xue Mingqing's Martial Soul was Snowflake, so why had Wang Chao said that his Martial Soul was the Snow Sword?
If the Snow Sword was not a Twin Martial Soul, then what was it?
With her gaze focused, Xue Ningxian continued standing there with her arms folded, waiting for Xue Mingqing's explanation.
Seeing the "I'm waiting for your explanation" look on Xue Ningxian's face, Xue Mingqing's lips curled up slightly. He said frankly,
"That isn't a Twin Martial Soul. It's my Self-Created Soul Skill, called Snow Transforms Into All Things."
He saw things clearly. Setting aside the fact that Xue Ningxian had saved his life and taken him in, he had no reason to hide anything from her.
Besides, even if he wanted to hide it, he could not keep it hidden forever unless he never used Snow Transforms Into All Things again. But that was impossible.
There would always be times when he had no choice but to use it. Since Xue Ningxian had asked him directly, there was no harm in admitting it.
If he refused to admit it, it would seem too distant, as though he were guarding himself against Xue Ningxian.
Xue Mingqing did not want that. He only wanted to exchange sincerity for sincerity, to show her his earnestness and gain more of Xue Ningxian's genuine affection.
Seeing Xue Mingqing admit it so openly instead of hiding it from her, Xue Ningxian did indeed feel a greater sense of closeness toward him.
At the same time, she was shocked by Xue Mingqing's talent.
After all, throughout history, which person capable of creating a Self-Created Soul Skill had not been an unparalleled prodigy who dominated their era?
She was not surprised that those people could create Self-Created Soul Skills, but—
The fact that Xue Mingqing could create one was truly beyond anything Xue Ningxian had expected.
It had to be known that, although Xue Mingqing's talent was fairly good,
he was only six years old. From awakening his Martial Soul until now, at most a month had passed.
How had he managed to create a Soul Skill in such a short time?
With her mind full of doubts, Xue Ningxian asked him directly,
"How did you think of creating a Self-Created Soul Skill?"
Hearing this, Xue Mingqing smiled faintly.
"First, Snowflake has no fixed form. Ordinary snow can be shaped into snowmen, snowballs, and even exquisite snow sculptures. Since the snow of my Martial Soul can connect with my Soul Power and mental power, why shouldn't it be able to do the same?"
"Second—"
"Before awakening my Martial Soul, I was already good at playing with snow. You could say this is right up my alley."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a flawless white snowflake appeared.
In his hand, the snowflake, originally an octagonal shape with a pure-white, solid texture, began to change on its own under the guidance of his Soul Power.
At times, it transformed into a Snow Sword.
At times, it transformed into a Snow Bow.
It even became agile snow butterflies, appearing one after another under Xue Mingqing's control.
Seeing this, Xue Ningxian could not help narrowing her beautiful eyes.
From what she sensed, the things Xue Mingqing created from snowflakes were still crude and rough. They were even somewhat inferior, as though they would collapse at the slightest touch.
But—
Xue Ningxian could tell that this Self-Created Soul Skill had boundless potential in the future!
He could already accomplish this with his current level of Soul Power, only level eight.
Then what would happen when he reached level ten, level twenty, or even nine rings?
By then, Xue Mingqing could turn snow into swords for offense, snow into shields for defense, and even snow into chains for control!
If Xue Mingqing truly managed to mature, he could practically fight an entire team by himself!
Thinking of the terrifying prospects of this Self-Created Soul Skill, Xue Ningxian could not help feeling a chill run over her scalp.
At the same time, she began to feel envious.
Her Martial Soul was Blizzard, one of the few powerful Martial Souls in the Extreme North.
If Xue Mingqing's ordinary Snowflake could accomplish Snow Transforms Into All Things, there was no reason her Blizzard could not.
She wanted to try out the intricacies of this Self-Created Soul Skill as well.
After clearing her throat, Xue Ningxian was a straightforward person and asked directly,
"Mingqing, could you pass this Self-Created Soul Skill on to your mother? Don't worry. I can swear on my Martial Soul that I will never teach it to anyone else."
Hearing this, Xue Mingqing froze. After coming back to his senses, he smiled and gently shook his head.
Seeing this, Xue Ningxian's brows drew together. She instinctively assumed that Xue Mingqing was unwilling to teach her. Unwilling to give up on the Self-Created Soul Skill, she increased her offer.
"What if I allocate more resources to you?"
Xue Mingqing still only smiled without saying anything. He merely shook his head.
Seeing this, Xue Ningxian's brows furrowed even more tightly, and her emerald-green eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Then what will it take for you to teach it to me?"
Xue Ningxian was determined to obtain this Self-Created Soul Skill. She had already prepared herself mentally. As long as Xue Mingqing's demands were not excessive, she could consider them.
However, just as Xue Ningxian was waiting for Xue Mingqing to name his price,
Xue Mingqing smiled and said,
"There's no need for Mother to give me anything."
"..."
"...?"
Hearing this unexpected answer, Xue Ningxian instinctively froze and looked at the boy before her in disbelief.
She was just about to ask him something when Xue Mingqing spoke again.
"You saved me, took me in, and accepted me as your stepson. You're my mother. Since you've asked, how could I be stingy with a Self-Created Soul Skill?"
As he spoke, Xue Mingqing explained the essentials of Snow Transforms Into All Things in a voice only the two of them could hear.
After hearing his explanation, Xue Ningxian's expression became somewhat complicated.
She looked at the child who had always maintained a respectful attitude toward her. After several moments of silence, she turned and left.
In her heart, Xue Mingqing's standing had risen dramatically. She simply would not say so aloud.
Turning around and bringing with her a wave of fragrance, Xue Ningxian quickly walked away.
Seeing this, Xue Mingqing merely smiled and shook his head before preparing to return to his room.
Could he really not understand the enormous potential of that Self-Created Soul Skill?
He knew. As its original creator, he understood it better than anyone.
He could certainly have chosen to demand benefits from Xue Ningxian.
But that was not what he wanted.
Treating each other with sincerity and exchanging genuine feelings—
That was what he wanted.
Xue Mingqing reached out and pushed open the door, walking back into his small courtyard.
Only after returning to the courtyard did Xue Mingqing finally set down the weighted backpack on his back beneath the dusk sky.
The moment the backpack touched the ground, the dust on the floor trembled.
Wiping away the sweat sliding down his forehead, Xue Mingqing asked curiously,
"Old Feng, what exactly did you mean by rent? Look, it's almost night already, isn't it?"
"Hey, getting impatient, are we?"
Feng Qingyang's voice rang out again. The next second—
A semitransparent figure dressed in black with black hair, a face as handsome as jade, and a pair of sinister, alluring blue-green eyes detached itself from Xue Mingqing's body and appeared beside him.
This was Feng Qingyang's soul body. After a month of sleeping and stabilizing, he could now leave Xue Mingqing's body, but he could only move within ten meters of him.
Floating beside Xue Mingqing, Feng Qingyang reached out and squeezed his arm.
"Hmm... Your physical strength is about sufficient. It seems you're qualified to receive this old man's rent."
With Feng Qingyang squeezing his arm, Xue Mingqing grimaced before revealing a proud, youthful smile.
"Heh-heh, my bitter cultivation this past month wasn't for nothing. Tell me, Old Feng, what do you need me to prepare?"
Hearing this, Feng Qingyang did not answer Xue Mingqing directly. Instead, he revealed a sinister smile and asked him a strange question.
"Qing, are you afraid of pain...?"
"Uh... W-what are you going to do...?"
Before you continue