(Tang Ya illustration)
The two of them hit the ground with a thud.
Tang Ya landed squarely on top of Lin Ye.
And, as if that wasn't enough—
Their lips somehow met.
Their eyes locked, and the air instantly froze.
Feeling the softness against him, Lin Ye's mind went blank. His blood rushed to his head.
Tang Ya was even more stunned.
Her face turned red from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears, as if she were about to start smoking.
She suddenly pushed herself up and plopped down beside him, covering her face with both hands. She wished she could bury her head in her chest.
Oh, no!
My first kiss!
Lin Ye lay on the ground, his heart pounding like a drum.
He'd been kissed by a beauty like Tang Ya... Who could handle that?
Neither of them spoke. The air was filled with the smell of dish soap and an indescribable, ambiguous tension.
Just then, a system notification popped up before Tang Ya's eyes:
[Congratulations on completing the main quest: More Children More Blessings stage mission!]
[Soul Power increased by one level!]
Tang Ya's thoughts went wild: There are stage missions too?! A kiss raises my Soul Power by one level? Oh, my gosh, this is way too fast...
Her Soul Power really had risen from Level 31 to Level 32!
Then if... she became his girlfriend, wouldn't she soon...
She hurriedly shook her head, her face turning even redder.
No, no! What am I thinking?!
I need to finish cleaning first!
She sneaked a glance at Lin Ye, who was still lying there in a daze, and muttered:
"Y-you... why are you still lying there? Get up..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
With Lin Ye's help, Tang Ya finally finished tidying the dormitory.
She stood with her hands on her hips, panting, and looked around:
The windows were spotless, the floor gleamed, and she'd even wiped down the bed frames.
Just then, a system notification appeared:
[Clang! B-rank mission complete!]
[Reward: Martial Soul Evolution!]
[Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul has evolved into the Blue Silver Emperor!]
Tang Ya's eyes widened like saucers.
Blue Silver... Emperor?! Was this for real?!
She eagerly released her Martial Soul.
One by one, crystalline strands of Blue Silver Grass sprouted from her palm.
Unlike before, the strands had become far more translucent. Their color deepened from pale blue until they turned a brilliant, transparent sapphire blue!
At the center of that crystalline blue, a golden pattern gleamed clearly.
It stretched from the root of every strand of Blue Silver Grass all the way to the tip of its leaves!
Tang Ya stood there, completely dumbfounded.
The Blue Silver Emperor.
It was the legendary ultimate form of Blue Silver Grass!
She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes growing a little red.
Now, she might even be strong enough to enter the Inner Court!
"Xiao Ye!"
As happy as a child, Tang Ya threw herself into Lin Ye's arms without a second thought and hugged him tight.
Her soft body pressed against him, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.
Lin Ye went rigid.
Th-this was so sudden!
Just then, another system notification came for Tang Ya:
[Congratulations on completing the main quest: More Children More Blessings stage mission!]
[Soul Power increased by one level!]
Tang Ya clearly felt her Soul Power rise steadily from Level 32 to Level 33.
She looked up at Lin Ye, her eyes sparkling. "Xiao Ye, you really are my lucky star!"
Feeling the softness against his chest, Lin Ye could think of only one thing:
Huh???
Before he could react, Tang Ya rose onto her tiptoes and quickly pecked him on the cheek.
Then...
She darted off in a flash.
Lin Ye stood there, touching the cheek she'd kissed.
It was a little warm.
What was going on with Tang Ya? How strange...
Could my arrival have changed the course of events?
He gazed thoughtfully in the direction Tang Ya had disappeared.
But...
If she really became his, then Lin Ye would definitely help her.
He'd change the tragic life she'd had in the original story.
He'd do what he said.
Tang Ya had run off, and something was happening on Lin Ye's end too.
The system panel popped up:
[Tang Ya has completed the mission!]
[Congratulations, host! You have received 91 points!]
[Current system points: 339]
Lin Ye looked at the number and grinned.
"91 points. Not bad, not bad. That's quite a lot. This mission only cost me 20 points to issue. What a steal!"
As he was doing the math, the system popped up again:
[Critical-hit reward obtained!]
Lin Ye: "?!?"
A critical-hit reward?! There was such a thing?
[Martial Soul critical-hit evolution!]
Lin Ye nearly jumped for joy.
"Great! Sister Xiao Ya, you really are my lucky star!"
The next moment, he felt something inside him shatter, and something else burst up through the soil.
[Lotus Root evolved—Lotus!]
Lin Ye's smile froze on his face.
A lotus???
He looked down at himself.
Why did this feel worse than being a lotus root... At least lotus roots were edible.
As if sensing his resentment, the system proactively displayed an explanation:
[Lotus, Body Martial Soul]
Lin Ye froze.
"Body Martial Soul?!"
[Lotus Incarnation!]
[Without the three souls and seven spirits, immune to attacks targeting the soul or spirit!]
[Immune to all poisons and free from mortal ailments: the lotus root body is pure and clean, never develops sores or illness, is unaffected by plagues, and cannot be poisoned.]
[Unaffected by water or fire, innate protection: lotuses grow in water and are naturally attuned to it and resistant to fire. Compatible with the Fire-Tipped Spear and Wind Fire Wheels!]
Lin Ye read through the lines one by one, his eyes widening further with each one.
Immune to spiritual attacks?
Immune to all poisons?
Unaffected by water or fire?
He drew a deep breath.
This was practically a god-tier Martial Soul!
Lin Ye couldn't help grinning.
"My dear Sister Xiao Ya, the rewards you give me are incredible! I love you!"
With a thought, the Fire-Tipped Spear, Universe Ring, and Red Armillary Sash appeared around him.
Golden-red flames danced at the tip of the spear. The red sash floated without a breeze, and the golden ring hovered at his side.
The three magical treasures circled him, radiating power.
Although his current strength wasn't enough to unleash their true might, he could only suppress the magic power they contained to a lower level.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to lift the Fire-Tipped Spear, let alone swing it.
Even so,
among opponents of the same level, he was practically invincible.
There was one more thing Lin Ye hadn't noticed.
After his Martial Soul evolved, his appearance had changed too.
His face had already been fair and handsome, but now his features were even more refined.
His brows arched like distant mountains, his eyes sparkled like stars, his nose was straight, and his lips were sharply defined.
Standing there, he looked like a lotus that had just bloomed.
Elegant, pure, yet touched with an indescribable otherworldly air.
To put it simply: every woman would think he was handsome.
Unfortunately, Lin Ye was too excited to bother looking in a mirror.
Once Lin Ye had calmed down, he began to feel out the changes to his Martial Soul.
And to his surprise, his first Soul Skill had evolved too!
His original "Keen-Eared, Sharp-Eyed Lotus Root," a minor skill that had only slightly improved his sight and hearing, had changed completely.
In its place was a brand-new Soul Skill:
[Lotus Heart Consciousness Sea]
Lin Ye closed his eyes and concentrated.
His lotus-colored spiritual sense silently spread out from him in every direction.
Within a thousand meters, every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile appeared clearly in his mind.
Even more astonishingly, every trick—concealed Martial Souls, stealth Soul Skills, disguised illusions, underground ambushes—was laid bare beneath the pure clarity of his lotus awareness.
Lin Ye opened his eyes and sucked in a breath.
This wasn't just Spiritual Detection. It was practically a demon-revealing mirror.
With one piece of good news after another, Lin Ye sat on the bed and rubbed his hands together.
"I've still got one draw left. I can't waste it."
He closed the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, and took a deep breath.
He opened the system panel:
[Current number of draws: 1]
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