One Desires, One Gives

A moment later, outside Shrek City.

A secluded little grove.

Lin Ye followed his hazy memories to find this place.

The last time he came here, he had been knocked out of the sky by Ma Xiaotao. He hadn't seen the path at all, only remembering the general direction.

Fortunately, he had a good sense of direction. After circling twice, he finally found the familiar cluster of trees.

He saw that Ma Xiaotao was already there.

She leaned against a thick tree trunk, her red dress fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, with a few strands caught by the wind, brushing against her cheek beneath her veil.

Seeing Lin Ye approach, Ma Xiaotao immediately lowered her head, her face flushing red again.

The blush seeped out from under her veil, and even her earlobes were stained with a faint pink hue.

With her hands behind her back, her fingertips twisted together, and her toes tapping the ground unconsciously, she stood there like a small tree bent by the wind.

"Sister Xiaotao, I'm here." Lin Ye walked up close and stopped.

Ma Xiaotao's eyes darted away, not daring to look at him. Her gaze flickered from the bushes on the left to the rocks on the right, refusing to turn in Lin Ye's direction.

Lin Ye wasn't in a hurry. He looked around and said casually:

"Last time I was here, I was almost finished off by you. If I didn't have such a tough life, the grass on my grave would be growing by now."

Ma Xiaotao's mouth twitched, and she finally couldn't help but speak:

"Th-that... can you tell me what your Martial Soul is?"

She raised her head, her pale pink eyes looking straight at Lin Ye, filled with a mix of curiosity and inquiry.

She truly wanted to know.

What kind of miraculous Martial Soul did Lin Ye possess that could not only drain her Evil Fire but even guide that violent energy to evolve?

This had already exceeded her understanding of Martial Souls.

"My Martial Soul, huh..." Lin Ye deliberately drew out his tone, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Why don't you just feel it for yourself, Sister Xiaotao?"

Ma Xiaotao was stunned for a moment before she understood what he meant. The blush on her face deepened instantly, and she raised her hand to strike him.

"You, pervert!"

Lin Ye sidestepped, dodging her light punch, and said with a grin:

"You were the one pressing down on me last time, so how am I the pervert? I haven't even accused you of molesting me yet."

Ma Xiaotao turned even redder at his words, her neck flushing a deep pink, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

"Stop it!" She stomped her foot, her voice tinged with embarrassment and anger.

Lin Ye wisely shut his mouth and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

The air remained quiet for a while.

The evening breeze rustled through the treetops.

The occasional chirping of insects in the distance only made the small grove feel more quiet and profound.

Ma Xiaotao kept her head down, drawing circles on the ground with her toe, as if making a major decision.

After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice as soft as a whisper in the wind:

"My Evil Fire... it seems to evolve because of you... can we try again..."

Lin Ye leaned against another tree, arms crossed, watching Ma Xiaotao's shy and embarrassed expression, and couldn't help but want to tease her.

"I can't just let myself be taken advantage of for nothing, can I?"

The tense, shy atmosphere was shattered instantly.

Ma Xiaotao snapped her head up, her eyes wide and round, her pretty face filled with ferocity as she hammered a fist onto Lin Ye's head.

"You brat! Don't act like you're suffering when you're the one benefiting!"

The punch wasn't heavy or light; it felt like being hit by a large apple.

"Don't you benefit when you're with me, too?"

Ma Xiaotao put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and wore an expression of absolute certainty.

Lin Ye's gaze involuntarily fell upon the surging, fair-skinned bounty on her chest, and for a moment, he forgot to retort.

Ma Xiaotao followed his gaze and looked down. The blush on her face deepened further, and she hurriedly covered her neckline with her hand, lowering her head.

"Sister Xiaotao," Lin Ye withdrew his gaze and looked at her earnestly, "You are very impressive and very beautiful."

Ma Xiaotao's heart skipped a beat.

She raised her head to meet Lin Ye's clear eyes...

The two were of one mind.

One wanted, and the other was willing to give.

In Ma Xiaotao's mind, the system's crisp notification sounds rang out one after another.

[Ding! S-rank mission completed!]

[Reward: Soul Power increased by two levels!]

Immediately following that was another sound:

[Completed one instance of More Children More Blessings!]

[All Soul Bone ages increased by 100,000 years!]

However, Ma Xiaotao could not care about any of this.

She had already fainted dead away.

Meanwhile, Lin Ye was closing his eyes, sensing the changes in the Medium-Flavor Essence Fire within his body.

That flame had grown more than twice as strong as before, burning fiercely in his Dantian. The heat spread to his limbs and bones, and every breath drove that heat to surge through his meridians.

At this rate, his own flames might already be more powerful than Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire.

It was just a pity that the Upper-Flavor Divine Fire had yet to be unlocked.

Only when the three flavors were gathered would it be the true Samadhi True Fire.

As he was thinking this, the system feedback popped up right behind it:

[Ma Xiaotao completed S-rank mission, obtained points: 178]

[Current system points: 228]

[Obtained critical hit reward! 60,000-year Burning Heaven Red Lotus Left Arm Bone!]

Lin Ye's eyes lit up, and he felt a surge of energy.

He looked down at the flushed, pretty face in his arms and couldn't help but lean in, planting a "pop" of a kiss on her cheek.

"Sister Xiaotao, I love you to death!"

One Soul Bone obtained!

60,000 years! Burning Heaven Red Lotus!

Just hearing the name, he knew it was fire-attributed, and it was definitely an offensive soul skill!

Lin Ye didn't waste any time; he sat cross-legged on the ground and began to absorb the Soul Bone.

The system was generous; just like the torso bone from before, this left arm bone was a perfect fit for his Lotus Martial Soul, as if it had been tailor-made for him from birth.

The absorption process was incredibly smooth. The energy within the Soul Bone flowed into his left arm like a trickling stream, without the slightest obstruction, and certainly without the tearing pain that ordinary soul masters experienced when fusing with Soul Bones.

In less than half an hour, the absorption was complete.

Lin Ye opened his eyes and slowly raised his left arm, feeling the surging flame energy within it.

Information about the left arm bone flooded into his mind like a tide:

60,000-year Burning Heaven Red Lotus Left Arm Bone!

Soul Skill: Red Lotus Burning Heaven Strike

Upon activation, soul power in the left arm surges, and the entire arm transforms into a burning crimson lotus arm, with lotus petal patterns flowing across the surface of the skin, vivid and lifelike.

Instant cast, no post-cast delay.

A flaming punch; when unleashed, it condenses into a massive red lotus phantom. The force of the punch carries a high-temperature heat wave capable of melting gold and iron.

The impact force and the flame scorching damage stack, meaning even heavy defenses would be gradually melted away by the tyrannical flames.

A very powerful offensive soul skill!

Lin Ye was overjoyed.

Furthermore, driven by this Soul Bone, his soul power level had jumped directly from level eighteen to level twenty!

He could go and obtain his second soul ring!

Lin Ye continued to meditate, solidifying his rapidly increased soul power.

It was now the middle of the night.

The moon had climbed to the center of the sky, and the cold moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting mottled shadows upon the ground.

Ma Xiaotao woke up in a daze...