Separation and Harvest!

She slowly opened her eyes. Those peach-blossom eyes now shimmered with a soul-captivating radiance, as if stars were swirling within them. A powerful mental fluctuation rippled outward, leaving even Ning Xiaochun feeling momentarily dazed.

"Level forty-two." Hu Liena stood up with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Moreover, the soul ring from this Three-Eyed Demon Fox has granted me a highly practical mental-type soul skill. This trip to the Sunset Forest has truly been a bountiful harvest!"

As she spoke, her gaze shifted back to Ning Xiaochun, her eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and gratitude.

"Little brother, I really owe this to you. Not only did you help me deal with that nuisance Yan, but you also helped me obtain such a perfect soul ring. Big sister really doesn't know how to repay you..."

As she spoke, she suddenly stepped forward. Before Ning Xiaochun could react, she bent down and pulled him into a large, enthusiastic hug!

A faint, orchid-like fragrance instantly flooded Ning Xiaochun's nostrils. The soft sensation left him completely frozen, his mind going blank!

I... I'm still just a child!!!

Ning Xiaochun screamed internally.

However, before he could even savor this sudden embrace, a gaze as cold as bone, one that seemed capable of freezing a soul, shot toward him like a sharp blade!

Shui Bing'er had stood up at some point. She watched the hugging Hu Liena and Ning Xiaochun with an expressionless face, her ice-blue eyes swirling with what seemed like ten thousand years of howling snowstorms!

The surrounding temperature plummeted at a visible rate! Frost even began to crystallize on the ground!

"Cough... cough cough!" Stung by that gaze, Ning Xiaochun shuddered and hurriedly struggled to break free from Hu Liena's "lethal" embrace, his little face turning bright red—whether from suffocation or embarrassment, he couldn't tell.

Seeing Shui Bing'er's murderous glare, Hu Liena didn't mind at all. Instead, she covered her mouth and chuckled, winking at Ning Xiaochun.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Big sister really has to go. The mission assigned by the Pope hasn't been completed yet."

She straightened up and gave Ning Xiaochun one last deep look, her expression turning serious. "Xiaochun, remember my words. If you ever have the chance to come to Spirit City, you must come find me to play. Big sister... will always welcome you."

With that, she lingered no longer. Her figure transformed into a pink-gold streak of light, and after a few flickers, she vanished completely into the depths of the dense forest.

Ning Xiaochun watched the direction in which Hu Liena had disappeared, feeling somewhat lost.

He had to admit, that hug just now had truly made him feel a bit... well, distracted? After all, in both his past and present lives, it was the first time he had been hugged so proactively by such a beautiful big sister...

"Hmph!"

A cold snort, sharp as an ice pick, pierced Ning Xiaochun's eardrums and instantly dragged him back to reality.

He turned his head to see Shui Bing'er staring at him expressionlessly, the chill in her ice-blue eyes nearly freezing over.

Her cherry lips parted slightly, her voice carrying an indescribable... sourness?

"Are you that reluctant to see her go? Why don't you... just follow her right now?"

Hearing that tone, Ning Xiaochun knew things were looking bad! This was... jealousy?! Sister Bing'er was actually jealous?! Although her tone was icy, this was clearly a sign of jealousy!

His survival instinct maxed out instantly! Ning Xiaochun made the most correct reaction in a split second!

His face immediately filled with the most sincere, innocent smile. He ran to Shui Bing'er in two or three steps, and then—

He grabbed Shui Bing'er's arm! Although his height meant he could only hold her forearm, his posture was as intimate and dependent as could be!

"Sister Bing'er! What are you saying! How could I be willing to be separated from you!" Ning Xiaochun tilted his little face up, his large eyes filled with "sincerity."

"That Hu Liena, she isn't even half as good as you, Sister Bing'er! She's just a vixen! You're the best! The prettiest! The most powerful! I like you the most, Sister Bing'er!"

A barrage of flattery poured out, paired with his "I am your most loyal follower" expression; it was simply impeccable!

Shui Bing'er was stunned by his sudden intimate gesture and the string of compliments. The frost on her face melted away by more than half, and a faint, imperceptible blush even crept onto her earlobes.

She tried to pull her arm back unnaturally, but Ning Xiaochun held on tight. After one failed attempt, she let him be, only turning her head away with a cold snort: "Slick-tongued."

Although her tone remained cold, the underlying jealousy and chill had vanished without a trace.

Beside them, Dugu Yan watched this scene, feeling a sudden, sour pang in her heart. She pursed her lips and muttered softly: "Hmph, all he knows is how to sweet-talk people..."

Just then, several figures appeared silently at the edge of the clearing like ghosts.

"Hahaha! Good! Very good!" Ning Fengzhi's hearty laughter rang out. His face was glowing as he looked at Ning Xiaochun and the three girls, his eyes filled with pride and relief.

"This trip to the Sunset Forest has truly been a bountiful harvest! Not only did Xiaochun successfully obtain his second soul ring, but Bing'er and Yanyan also found such compatible rings, and we even taught those little brats from Spirit Hall a lesson, spreading the prestige of our Seven Treasures Glazed Sect! Splendid! Truly splendid!"

Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong also stepped out, both wearing smiles. Sword Douluo offered a rare word of praise: "Kid, well done."

Bone Douluo chuckled, "Especially that 'Ring Elevation' technique at the end; even this old man was startled. You kid, you always manage to give people surprises."

Dugu Bo stroked his beard, looking at his granddaughter's surging aura with immense relief. He looked at Ning Xiaochun, his god-grandson, with growing satisfaction.

"Alright, this is no place to linger." Ning Fengzhi reined in his smile and said sternly, "We have been out for quite a while; it is time to return. The gains from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, as well as these soul rings, all require time to be properly digested and absorbed. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect must also make preparations for what is to come."

He looked at Ning Xiaochun with deep meaning. The surprises his son had brought him on this trip were simply too many.

The evolution of the twin towers, the soul fusion skill, and that miraculous "Ring Elevation"... all of these signaled that the future of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect would undergo earth-shattering changes because of this son of his, who seemed frivolous but was actually hiding his true depth!

Ning Xiaochun nodded as well.

"Mm, let's go home!" Ning Xiaochun clenched his fists, feeling the soul power within his body—exhausted yet brimming with strength—and surrounded by these reliable partners and elders, his heart filled with unprecedented stability and confidence.

Soft rice might be delicious, but to eat it for a long time and securely, one ultimately had to rely on oneself and one's trustworthy partners to become stronger together!