A Tangible Form

Inside the tent.

Dong'er's phantom continued to change.

Her figure went from illusory to translucent, then from translucent to vaguely possessing a trace of... tangibility.

It was not a true flesh-and-blood body.

But her fingertips, her hair, and her clothes all carried a faint sense of touch.

She was no longer smoke that might disperse at any moment with a gust of wind.

She was now a tangible soul body that could be touched.

Fang Mo could not help reaching out.

His fingertips touched Dong'er's hair.

It was cold, but tangible.

It felt like touching a fine piece of silk, carrying a trace of chill, yet undeniably real.

Fang Mo's breathing stopped for a moment.

Then he smiled.

It was neither a polite smile nor a calculating one, but a smile from the heart, a smile of immense relief.

"It worked."

Fang Mo withdrew from the Spirit Sea, slowly opened his eyes, and walked out of the tent.

The night was deep.

The bonfire had diminished greatly, and most people had already returned to their tents to rest.

Qian Renxue came over and sat beside him. She did not speak, merely waited quietly.

Fang Mo turned and met those pale golden eyes.

"How did it go?"

Qian Renxue's voice was soft.

The corners of Fang Mo's lips curved slightly.

"It worked."

Qian Renxue's pupils brightened slightly.

"She..."

"Her soul has stabilized. She won't fall asleep at the slightest provocation anymore, and her soul body can be felt now."

Qian Renxue froze instantly upon hearing that.

"F-Felt?"

"Yes. She is no longer an illusory shadow. She is a soul entity that can be touched.

She may not have a true flesh-and-blood body yet, but..."

He did not finish.

Because Qian Renxue's eyes had turned red.

Her brilliant golden eyes glistened with moisture in the firelight. Her golden eyelashes trembled twice, and then a tear slid from the corner of her eye.

She did not wipe it away.

"Little Brother Fang Mo."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know?" Qian Renxue's voice trembled. "From childhood until now, no one has ever hugged me."

Fang Mo fell silent at once.

"Mother never hugged me. Grandfather loved me, but he did not know how to express it.

The grandfathers in the Consecrated Hall treated me with great respect, but no one..."

Her voice suddenly dropped.

"No one ever let me experience what it felt like to be embraced."

Fang Mo listened quietly.

"That evening, I wanted to hug Mother, and Mother wanted to touch me too.

But her hand passed through my face. She touched nothing."

Qian Renxue's voice broke for a moment.

"I thought then... if one day she could truly touch me, that would be wonderful."

She slowly raised her head and looked at Fang Mo through tear-filled eyes.

"Now you've made it happen for me."

Fang Mo looked at her.

The bonfire's glow danced across Qian Renxue's face, making her tears sparkle like gold.

Nine-year-old Qian Renxue, the treasured jewel of Spirit Hall's Consecrated Hall and inheritor of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

At that moment, she sat beside a bonfire and wept over a soul. Fang Mo reached out and gently wiped away the tear tracks on her face.

His fingers touched Qian Renxue's skin, warm, soft, and real.

Qian Renxue's body trembled slightly.

She did not pull away.

"Next time," Fang Mo said softly, "when she fully awakens, I'll have her hug you herself."

Qian Renxue cried even harder.

But she smiled too.

Amid tears and firelight, Qian Renxue revealed a smile Fang Mo had never seen before.

It was not a spoiled smile, not a reserved smile, nor a concealing smile.

It was the wholehearted, unguarded smile of a nine-year-old girl.

"Okay."

She nodded firmly.

"It's a promise."

"..."

Pope Bibi Dong watched all of this from the shadows. No one knew what she was thinking.

The outskirts of Sunset Forest.

Morning light passed through gaps in the canopy, casting mottled patches of light across the ground.

After a night's rest, everyone had recovered to their peak condition.

The transformations brought by absorbing the Immortal Herbs quietly showed in each person's bearing.

Yan was the first to emerge from his tent.

"This feels... incredible!"

Yan clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking sharply as he threw a punch into the air.

"My strength has increased by at least thirty percent."

Yan grinned from ear to ear. "That Infernal Delicate Apricot was practically made for me!"

Xie Yue emerged from another tent, his face as cold as ever, and clenched his fist as well.

He discovered that the sharpness of his Moon Blade Martial Soul had improved by at least two levels.

Hu Liena came out last.

Her changes were the most obvious. Her pink eyes carried an added hint of seduction.

Her Demon Fox Martial Soul had always excelled at mental control, and after absorbing the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, her spiritual power had undergone a qualitative leap.

Qian Renxue stood at the edge of the camp, her back to the others as she faced the forest.

Her golden hair drifted gently in the breeze, while a faint halo seemed to envelop her body.

After absorbing the Aromatic Silk Beauty, the aura of her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul had become even more sacred, making the space around her feel warm.

Fang Mo stepped out of the last tent.

His outward appearance had changed the least, but he could clearly feel that his body had become far tougher than yesterday.

The Soul Power flowing through his meridians had also become smoother, as though the riverbed had widened.

"The effects of this Immortal Herb are better than I expected."

Spirit Dong'er's voice sounded in his mind, carrying a rare note of satisfaction.

"For the next three months, I won't need to rely on sleep to maintain my existence."

Fang Mo nodded slightly and replied in his mind, "That's good. Next, I need your help with something."

"What is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Bibi Dong stood on high ground, her deep violet hair stirring lightly in the morning breeze.

Her gaze swept across the five people below. Her voice was not loud, yet everyone heard it clearly.

"The Immortal Herbs have been fully absorbed. Each of you has improved in strength to varying degrees."

Bibi Dong paused, a sharp glint flashing through her eyes.

"But Immortal Herbs are merely an aid. What truly determines a Soul Master's upper limit is their Soul Rings."

Her gaze fell upon each of the five in turn.

"Qian Renxue, level thirty, requires a third Soul Ring. Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, you have reached level twenty and require second Soul Rings."

Hu Liena and the other two answered in unison.

Bibi Dong's gaze finally settled on Fang Mo, lingering a moment longer than it had on the others.

"Fang Mo, level eighteen. You are still some distance from level twenty."

Fang Mo said nothing and merely nodded slightly.

Bibi Dong withdrew her gaze and turned to the six Title Douluo beside her.

"Senior Golden Crocodile. Senior Snake Lance."

The two elders clasped their fists at the same time.

Bibi Dong's tone did not waver in the slightest. "I will seal off this area.

From this moment onward, no one except Spirit Hall personnel may approach within fifty li.

Any trespassers—kill!"