People could not, or at least should not, fail to reach Soul Emperor cultivation by the age of twelve, right?

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

The Heavenly Soul Imperial Family attached immense importance to this incident. The imperial family dispatched a prince and several consecrated officials to investigate, and the result was the discovery of several more small Evil Soul Master hideouts within Heaven Dou City.

The capital of a great nation had actually become a "tourist attraction" where Evil Soul Masters could come and go as they pleased. This left the Heavenly Soul Emperor furious and alarmed, fearing that one day he might have his throat slit by an Evil Soul Master in his sleep. For a time, even all of Heaven Dou City became tense and on edge.

Meanwhile, after declining the Heavenly Soul Emperor's request to personally thank them, Ling Jingfeng also brought the imperial family's reward of gratitude for the Qiangu Clan's intervention.

It consisted of thirty million Gold Soul Coins, along with a fifty-thousand-year Hercules Bull right arm bone, with a total value exceeding fifty million Gold Soul Coins.

However, no side had truly suffered a loss in this matter. Qiangu Yunche's side received thirty million Gold Soul Coins and four Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones; the Heavenly Soul Imperial Family eliminated a huge threat outside the empire's heart; and Ling Jingfeng found a reliable safeguard for his granddaughter.

It could be said that everyone was happy.

After staying another two days, Qiangu Qing finally planned to lead everyone back to the Star Luo Empire.

Before departing, the two old men, who had known each other for more than a hundred and fifty years, talked through the entire night.

Because both of them knew that this parting would almost certainly be their last...

Early the next morning, Ling Jingfeng watched Qiangu Qing and the others' retreating figures and let out a long sigh before saying solemnly:

"Where in this world is there a feast that never ends, a legend that never fades, or an oath that never changes... In a fleeting instant, seas turn into mulberry fields. The green hills will remain as they are, and everything will merely return to its starting point..."

"Grandfather..." Ling Luochen's hand trembled as she held the old man's, tears already welling in her eyes.

"Don't cry, don't cry." Ling Jingfeng patted Ling Luochen's hand and smiled reassuringly. "Girl, there's nothing to be sad for me about. My life had its hardships, but it was still a fulfilling one. Now, the only thing I cannot put at ease is you."

"However, Heaven has still been kind to you. That boy from the Qiangu Clan may truly be a good match for you. But whether things work out between you or not, the Qiangu Clan will help you for my sake, and they can ensure that you live a safe and peaceful life."

Ling Jingfeng gently wiped away the tears rolling down Ling Luochen's face before saying at last:

"For the final stretch of time, Grandfather will accompany you to Shrek City. After that, let the others fight over this Ling family..."

Ling Luochen sobbed, tears already covering her face, but she still nodded softly...

Star Luo's Southern Territory.

Less than two days after returning home, an urgent letter was delivered from Tianxing City to the Qiangu Clan.

Rather than a letter, it was more like a visiting card.

Qiangu Liting merely smiled after reading it and said nothing more.

Early the next morning, Qiangu Yunche, who was preparing to hunt Soul Beasts, met someone he had not expected to see.

"Yunche, long time no see."

Sunlight like scattered gold filtered through the emerald leaves, dancing in the girl's hair.

A breeze drifted past, making the tree shadows sway as light and darkness alternated. Several strands of Xu Jiujiu's hair were lifted by the wind, glimmering with specks of light.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a radiant smile on her face. Her azure pupils held the shifting tree shadows and the gentle light of day.

Qiangu Yunche was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Long time no see, Jiujiu. Congratulations on breaking through to Soul King."

Xu Jiujiu's smile was brilliant, but after waiting a long while without hearing anything further from Qiangu Yunche, she gave a soft huff and pretended to be displeased.

"It's been almost a year. Other than saying hello, do you have nothing else to say to me?"

"Hmm..." Qiangu Yunche thought for a moment before speaking.

"Jiujiu, you seem to have put on a little weight."

Well, that was worse than saying nothing at all.

Xu Jiujiu's eyes widened. Following Qiangu Yunche's gaze, she looked down at herself, only to find that she could not see her own toes.

A blush rapidly spread across her face. Then she said coyly, "Little pervert, it has not even been a year, and you already dare tease your sister like this? Sure enough, Grandma Manyi was right. The older men get, the worse they become."

Qiangu Yunche coughed lightly and merely smiled without replying.

What was that saying again? When looking at a girl, look at her eyes first. If she is no longer looking at you, then look wherever you want...

The fundamental reason Qiangu Yunche dared to commit such an offense was that he was certain Xu Jiujiu had a high tolerance for him and would not fall out with him over something so minor.

Or rather, for people in an "ambiguous relationship" like theirs, this was itself a way to draw closer and deepen their feelings.

Of course, this method depended heavily on looks, finances, background, and the mutual affection between both parties.

Trying it rashly could easily get one buried in the ground and turned into ginseng...

After a simple warm-up, the two walked and chatted along the tree-lined path. Their conversation was mostly about their experiences over the past year and the purpose of this trip.

Xu Jiujiu was going to the Southern Dense Forest to hunt a Soul Beast called the Starlight Unicorn.

However, according to Xu Jiujiu, although the Starlight Unicorn was called a unicorn, it was not a super Soul Beast. It was merely a mutated starlight-attributed Horned Scale Horse with unicorn bloodline. Yet its atavistic unicorn bloodline and powerful starlight attribute made it a top-tier Soul Beast, qualifying it to enter the sights of an imperial princess like Xu Jiujiu.

When she heard Qiangu Yunche say that he also happened to be planning to hunt Soul Beasts to obtain a Soul Ring, Xu Jiujiu was both shocked and bewildered.

If her memory was not mistaken, Qiangu Yunche and the other two had gone to Star Luo City a year ago while passing through on their way to hunt Soul Beasts.

And now, less than a year had passed. Why was he hunting Soul Beasts again?

Could it be...

As though she had thought of something, Xu Jiujiu's expression shifted for an instant. Then she reached out and grabbed Qiangu Yunche's wrist, her voice sinking.

"Yunche, tell me honestly. You have not been using medicine to rapidly raise your cultivation, have you?"

Qiangu Yunche was taken aback, then smiled helplessly. "Do I look that foolish?"

Xu Jiujiu stared into Qiangu Yunche's eyes for a long while before finally letting out a long breath.

"That's good. If you truly did take something, do not hide it from me. The imperial family has secret medicines refined from heavenly and earthly treasures, enough to offset the aftereffects of cultivating through medicine..."

Qiangu Yunche continued smiling. After a quiet moment, Xu Jiujiu stopped walking and finally asked the question that had never received a definite answer in her heart.

"Yunche, what... is your cultivation now, exactly?"

"Peak Soul Emperor. This time, I'm going to the sea to obtain my sixth Soul Ring," Qiangu Yunche said casually.

"Soul... Soul Emperor?" Xu Jiujiu's eyes widened once more, as though she could not believe what she had just heard.

"Yeah." Qiangu Yunche nodded, then smiled teasingly. "I have always felt that people could not, or at least should not, fail to reach Soul Emperor cultivation by the age of twelve, right?"

"If they have not, then perhaps they should reflect on whether they have simply not worked hard enough..."

Xu Jiujiu opened her mouth. For some reason, after hearing those words, Qiangu Yunche's incomparably handsome face suddenly became extremely punchable.

After a long while, Xu Jiujiu, who had sacrificed who knew how much rest over the past year to break through to Soul King, finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Qiangu Yunche, I'm going to bite you to death, you little pervert!"

The girl chased after the boy beneath the tree shade, a scene that would have looked utterly romantic and beautiful to anyone.

But after only a few steps, Qiangu Yunche suddenly stopped. Xu Jiujiu failed to react in time and nearly crashed directly into his back.

Before Xu Jiujiu could speak, Qiangu Yunche suddenly said:

"Jiujiu, my great-grandfather has summoned me to discuss something. Wander around on your own for now. Other than the depths of the valley, which you had better avoid, you may go anywhere else you like."

As he spoke, Qiangu Yunche's figure flashed and vanished from Xu Jiujiu's sight.

Xu Jiujiu froze for a moment, and then profound shock flashed through her eyes once more...