You Are My Best Gift

"Alright, Sister Erlong, with your strength, I imagine you'll be able to clear all eight meridians soon."

Mo Li supported his forehead with one hand, his expression looking slightly weary.

While his soul power was circulating through Liu Erlong's body, he had kept "Peering at Heaven and Earth" active the entire time, not daring to be even the slightest bit careless.

Even with his current mental strength, which was comparable to a Soul King, it was somewhat taxing; however, the exhaustion of his mental energy was the most significant part.

Mo Li only felt his head swimming now, and he wanted nothing more than to have a good sleep.

"I'll remember that. What about you? How many have you cleared now?"

Liu Erlong suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, asking casually in part to change the subject.

"I've cleared four."

Mo Li answered without any hesitation, though his eyes were already beginning to blur.

"Four? When did you start?"

Hearing Mo Li's reply, Liu Erlong turned around in surprise, only to see Mo Li's swaying, unstable figure. She immediately caught his shoulders, her expression turning frantic. "Li'er, what's wrong?"

Mo Li shook his head; the drain on his mental energy over the past hour had been quite severe.

After all, the person before him was Liu Erlong, so he had naturally been incredibly cautious, which had drawn out the process significantly. Now, Mo Li felt utterly exhausted, his eyelids feeling as heavy as lead.

He mustered his remaining energy and said weakly, "I'm fine, just a bit drained."

He then pulled a smile to his lips and whispered, "Sister Erlong, you can rest easy now, right?"

"But I'm too sleepy. Let me go back and get some rest."

As he spoke, he struggled to get off the bed, but one of Liu Erlong's hands held him firmly in place, leaving him unable to move. Mo Li felt a bit puzzled, but he truly lacked the strength to resist.

Before his eyes closed, he saw Liu Erlong's expression was incredibly tender, little specks of starlight rising in her eyes; in that moment, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

On the bed, Liu Erlong gently supported Mo Li's slumping body, her gaze filled with infinite tenderness, her voice equally soft.

"Sleep here tonight, right by my side..."

Hearing that incredibly gentle voice in his ears, Mo Li felt a sense of profound peace.

In that embrace lingering with a faint, subtle fragrance, his spirit completely dissipated, his body relaxed, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

Gently laying Mo Li flat beside her, Liu Erlong did not leave the bed. A flash of hesitation crossed her eyes, but in the end, she lay down beside Mo Li with gentle movements.

She propped herself up on one arm, leaning over to watch Mo Li quietly under the faint moonlight—watching the child she had found on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City and raised by her side.

Liu Erlong's eyes reflected Mo Li's peaceful face as he slept. An nameless emotion surged in her heart, and she just stared blankly, remaining silent for a long time.

She didn't know how long she had been watching when Mo Li muttered something in his sleep. Liu Erlong had been so entranced that she hadn't heard it clearly.

She blinked in confusion and had no choice but to press her cheek close to Mo Li's lips, but this time, she waited for a long while without hearing his voice again.

Just as she was about to lie back down, Mo Li whispered again, "Sister Erlong."

Liu Erlong blinked nervously, a look of confusion on her face. Her heart rate suddenly quickened; she wondered what Mo Li could be dreaming about to call her name even in his sleep.

At this moment, Mo Li's breathing was somewhat ragged, and his brows were slightly furrowed, which made her heart ache, yet she couldn't wake him. She reached out, wanting to gently smooth his brow, but several attempts failed to achieve her wish.

Just as Liu Erlong was fretting over this, Mo Li suddenly turned over to face her. She froze in fright, but not daring to move too much, she had to let Mo Li's face come even closer.

Facing him and listening to his steady breathing, Liu Erlong was momentarily stunned.

When she finally reacted, her forehead had involuntarily pressed against Mo Li's. The distance between them was so close that their noses were almost touching, and their breaths seemed to entwine. Every movement stirred her heart and mind. Liu Erlong desperately suppressed the turmoil within her, trying her best to calm herself down.

Just as she was battling with herself internally, Mo Li's sleep-talking came again.

"I... did it."

Hearing Mo Li's words, Liu Erlong was left between laughter and tears. So, this little one was still thinking about the gift for her even in his dreams.

She gently separated their touching foreheads, and Mo Li's brows had smoothed out at some point, his handsome face full of softness.

She reached out and gently pinched Mo Li's cheek; the warm sensation made her own cheeks feel hot. Her fingers paused for a moment before she softly rested her palm against Mo Li's face.

Feeling the warmth so close at hand, after a long while, Liu Erlong whispered softly, "You are my best gift..."

Having done all this, Liu Erlong relaxed her body just as Mo Li had and drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day.

When Mo Li woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

"This is Sister Erlong's room?"

Seeing the furnishings clearly, Mo Li instantly sobered up. He turned his head to look beside him, but the figure he expected was not there.

Mo Li scratched his head in embarrassment. He hadn't expected to occupy Sister Erlong's bed; he wondered how she had rested last night.

After getting up and off the bed, Mo Li noticed a faint, lingering fragrance on his body. He lowered his head, frowned slightly, and sniffed a few times.

This left him feeling rather puzzled.

"Why does this fragrance smell so much like Sister Erlong? Could it be that I've picked up her scent just from sleeping here for one night?"

Just as Mo Li was feeling puzzled, a crisp, melodious voice drifted in from outside the door: "Since you're awake, why haven't you come out yet? What are you doing lingering in my room?"

Hearing this, Mo Li offered an awkward smile, straightened his clothes, and walked out.

"Sister Erlong, aren't you busy today?"

Liu Erlong was sitting cross-legged by the edge of the pool, her figure slender and graceful, her waterfall-like hair fluttering in the breeze. Hearing Mo Li's voice, she turned her head and said, "I'll go this afternoon."

"Oh, then where did you sleep last night? I took over your bed." Mo Li scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Liu Erlong rolled her eyes at him. "You don't remember what you did last night?"

Mo Li was greatly astonished. "Sister Erlong, what did I do? Aside from giving you a big gift, I didn't do anything at all."

Seeing Mo Li's flustered state, Liu Erlong's red lips curled slightly as she said, "You really don't want to sleep with me that much?"

Seeing the shock on Mo Li's face, Liu Erlong pursed her lips and continued to herself, "When you were little, you always loved to pester me to sleep with you, but now that you're grown, you've started to shun me."

"Cough, cough, no, no, I was just wondering why I slept so comfortably." Mo Li's face flushed red as he hurriedly tried to make amends.

Liu Erlong merely rolled her eyes at him and did not continue the topic.

"These Extraordinary Meridians of yours are truly something else. I've been cultivating here all morning, and I can feel that my progress is indeed faster than before."

"However, it will still take me more than half a month to clear the first meridian."

"It doesn't matter if it takes a little longer."

Hearing Liu Erlong finish, Mo Li nodded.

Although meridians tend to become more obstructed with age, Liu Erlong was a Soul Saint, and a relatively young one at that; such a speed of clearing them could hardly be considered slow.

Liu Erlong smiled faintly and was about to continue her cultivation when, suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the forest.