After the cultivation method had run for a full cycle, Lie Xu suddenly felt that something inside him seemed to have been stirred.
Looking inward, he saw a strand of golden-yellow qi flow from between his brows, following his Soul Power into his dantian. It then slowly merged with the Soul Power vortex there, becoming one with it.
"This... This is Central Thick Earth Sky-Yellow Qi!"
The Nine Qi Return to Origin Method had already fused with his soul, so Lie Xu naturally knew what this strand of qi was.
Central Thick Earth Sky-Yellow Qi governed the gathering and storage of Soul Power in the dantian. It expanded the Soul Power vortex, strengthened its capacity, and stabilized the foundation of one's Soul Power.
As the strand of qi entered his dantian, the Soul Power vortex there absorbed Soul Power at a speed far greater than before. The difference was like heaven and earth.
What was more, the Soul Power vortex in his dantian abruptly expanded to more than twice its original size. Its capacity naturally increased by nearly as much, so Lie Xu had no choice but to keep circulating the cultivation method to fill the newly expanded vortex...
After a long while, Lie Xu finally stopped circulating the cultivation method. Looking inward at his now-full Soul Power vortex, he wore a satisfied expression.
Lie Xu slowly opened his eyes. A cool, beautiful face was staring blankly at him, unmistakable delight in her eyes.
"Hey! What the hell!"
Caught completely off guard, Lie Xu opened his eyes and found a face suddenly right in front of him. No matter how stunning it was, it still startled him. He lost his balance and toppled backward.
Just then, a pair of slender hands shot out and caught Lie Xu before he could fall flat on his back.
"Lie Xu... You smell so good. Why do you suddenly smell so good...?"
Silver Dragon King pulled Lie Xu close and sniffed him intently.
"Hey, Qingshuang, what are you doing?"
Lie Xu tried to yank his arm free from Qingshuang's grasp, but his efforts were useless. How could a six-year-old child break free from a humanoid Soul Beast who was hundreds of thousands of years old? Even if he had already become a Soul Master.
The commotion woke Qian Renxue, who rubbed her eyes and looked over.
"Brother Xu, what are you doing?"
Lie Xu was suddenly inexplicably nervous, and his voice came out a little harsh.
"Is something wrong with your head? Let go!"
Seeing that Lie Xu seemed genuinely angry, Silver Dragon King reluctantly let go of his hand.
Lie Xu rubbed his wrist, got up, and walked over to Qian Renxue. He sat down beside her and, seeing the little golden-haired girl still bleary-eyed with sleep, couldn't resist pinching her drowsy cheek.
"It's nothing. I was just asking Qingshuang about something. It's still early, so hurry back to sleep."
He covered Qian Renxue with the blanket, gently patted her back, and soothed her to sleep. Only then did he return to Silver Dragon King.
"Qingshuang, I'm curious. Why do you always think I smell good? You said it the very first time you saw me."
Lie Xu faced Qingshuang and asked.
"I don't know."
Silver Dragon King propped her chin on one hand, her face full of confusion.
"Then do you want to eat me?"
Faced with this situation, Lie Xu had no idea what to do. He could only try asking one question at a time and see if he could find the reason.
"Not really. It's not the kind of smell that makes me want to eat you. It's... it's..."
Silver Dragon King let out a deep sigh. She was at a loss, too. After waking from her long slumber, the Destiny Power she had always used to hide her whereabouts had somehow been obtained by a small human. Now she kept following him, and for some inexplicable reason, he smelled delicious to her—yet she didn't want to eat him...
Hearing this, Lie Xu was just as dumbfounded. His mind stalled for a long while before he finally said, "Could it be because the Emperor Auspicious Beast sacrificed herself to me?"
Silver Dragon King thought carefully for a long while after hearing that.
"While I was asleep, several generations of Emperor Auspicious Beasts appeared, but none of them made me feel that way or woke me from my slumber."
"Wow..."
"Then that's strange."
Lie Xu was just as clueless. He could only ask about things one by one and test one thing at a time. He even pricked his finger and squeezed out some blood for Qingshuang to smell, but it still did no good...
"Ah, I'm tired. Let's just end it all!!!"
Lie Xu flopped onto the ground and stared blankly up at the brilliant starry sky.
"Qingshuang, if you can't resist the urge to eat me one day, remember to tell me ahead of time so I can prepare."
Silver Dragon King squatted beside Lie Xu with her arms around her knees. With no expression on her face, she poked at him over and over with a twig she had picked up from who knew where as he lay sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated.
"You don't seem as delicious now as you were a moment ago..."
Silver Dragon King said flatly.
"What? What did you say? Qingshuang, say that again!!!"
Lie Xu immediately sat up straight and grabbed Silver Dragon King by the shoulders, his face alight with excitement.
Anyone would feel uneasy knowing someone was keeping an eye on them, especially when it was a Soul Beast who was practically invincible in the world.
"I said you don't seem as delicious now as you were a moment ago."
"What moment are you talking about?"
Lie Xu pressed her.
"When you were absorbing spiritual energy. You smelled best then."
Silver Dragon King thought for a moment, then said, "I couldn't help wanting to get closer to you then, and the injuries to my soul recovered just a little faster."
Hearing Silver Dragon King say this, Lie Xu suddenly understood.
It turned out she had been drawn to the Central Thick Earth Sky-Yellow Qi in his Soul Power vortex.
This strand of qi had come from the Fate Soul Bone of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. He didn't know whether Silver Dragon King had sensed it because the Three-Eyed Golden Lion possessed Golden Dragon King's bloodline or because of the power of fate. Perhaps she hadn't noticed it before because he had condensed and refined the strand of qi. But when he cultivated, the strand, now fused with his Soul Power vortex, circulated through his body along with the cultivation method.
That was why Silver Dragon King thought he smelled much better than usual.
"Is that it?"
As he spoke, Lie Xu activated the cultivation method and began circulating it through his body.
"Ahh..."
"Yes, that's the smell! So good, so rich!!!"
Silver Dragon King leaned greedily toward Lie Xu, inhaling the aura of Soul Power that escaped as it circulated through his body. She acted as if she were smelling some peerless immortal medicine.
"When you smell it, aside from thinking it smells good, do you feel anything else?"
Lie Xu quietly shifted backward.
"Hmm..."
Silver Dragon King pondered for a moment, then continued, "It just feels so comfortable. The pain in my soul eases, and it recovers a little faster, too."
Lie Xu nodded. At last, he had figured out what was going on, and the weight in his heart finally lifted. At least he didn't have to keep worrying like a headless fly.
"Looks like the cultivation method the Heavenly Venerable gave me really is the real deal..."
Before you continue