The Star Luo Spirit Pearl fruit felt cool in Lin Shuo's hand. Its golden specks seemed almost alive as they slowly swirled across his palm.
Without hesitation, Lin Shuo brought the fruit to his mouth.
The moment its flesh melted on his tongue, a gentle yet vast energy burst forth from his dantian and surged along his meridians, rushing through every limb and bone.
The energy was not overbearing. Instead, it carried a cool, distant quality like the stars. Wherever it passed, the Soul Power in his meridians seemed to be cleansed, becoming purer and more refined.
Lin Shuo sat cross-legged and lowered his eyes. A seven-colored halo slowly turned around him.
He could clearly feel the Star Luo Spirit Pearl condensing into a faint golden glow in his chest.
The glow floated there in silence, like a seed that had yet to awaken.
Although the Star Luo Spirit Pearl was more closely connected to the stars, after fusing with it, it could eventually transform into a Soul Core.
This Immortal Herb's effects would not bring an immediate increase in strength. Instead, it laid the foundation for condensing a Soul Core in the future.
A Soul Core could not directly increase a Soul Master's cultivation, but it could speed up the recovery of their Soul Power.
In this era, a Soul Core was a realm that ordinary Soul Masters would only reach upon becoming a Titled Douluo. But Lin Shuo knew that, with his bloodline and cultivation speed, that day was not far off.
He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of stale air.
In the distance, Huo Yu'er was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, her eyes closed, her body enveloped in a faint ice-blue glow.
The medicinal power of Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew was being refined within her, while the Water Dragon King bloodline in her body slowly merged with the power of the 60,000-Year Ice Dragon Torso Bone.
The girl's face looked especially serene in the glow. The Spirit Eye Martial Soul between her brows turned on its own, and deep-blue light flickered at her forehead, brightening and dimming as if it were breathing.
Gu Yuena stood by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall. Her violet eyes calmly watched the lake, where ice and fire remained sharply divided.
About half an hour later, the ice-blue glow around Huo Yu'er suddenly brightened, then slowly receded into her body.
Huo Yu'er's Sea of Consciousness had turned purple-gold. When she opened her eyes, the whole world seemed to have gained countless new colors.
She stood and flexed her fingers. As her fingertips brushed the air, they left behind the faintest trail of cold mist.
"Big Brother Lin!" Huo Yu'er hurried over to him, barely able to contain her delight. "I think my mental power has improved tremendously! And my eyes—I can see the tiniest veins on the Immortal Herbs' leaves. I can even make out the dewdrops on a flower petal across the lake!"
"That's as it should be." Lin Shuo nodded slightly. He took a snow-white book from the Storage Soul Tool—the one he had obtained from the Aromatic Silk Beauty—and handed it to Huo Yu'er. "This is for you."
Huo Yu'er froze for a moment, then accepted the book with both hands. She glanced down at the cover, confusion flickering in her deep-blue eyes. "This is..."
"This is a Tang Sect text left behind by Tang San," Lin Shuo said evenly. "You've been learning the Tang Sect techniques, so there's more for you to study in here."
Huo Yu'er did not ask where the book had come from. She carefully put it into Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night, then looked up at Lin Shuo with a serious expression. "Big Brother Lin, thank you."
"No need." Lin Shuo waved a hand and turned to Gu Yuena. "Sister Na'er, we've more or less finished up here."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly, her silver hair stirring in the valley breeze. She lifted a hand and drew a line through the air. A silver space gate opened without a sound. The three of them stepped through one after another, and the gate quietly closed behind them. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well returned to its age-old silence, leaving only the Immortal Herbs whispering softly among themselves.
The space gate opened outside Sunset Forest, and the three of them stepped out.
"Yu'er," Lin Shuo said, stopping and turning to Huo Yu'er. "Have you given any thought to your Second Soul Ring?"
Huo Yu'er consulted the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in her Sea of Consciousness, then answered, "Big Brother Lin, Sister Tian Meng and I want to go to the Far North for my Second Soul Ring. Why don't we part ways here?"
Lin Shuo nodded. "That Sky Dream Ice Silkworm is a Soul Beast from the Far North. I imagine she knows the place well. With her guiding you, you should be fine. Then we'll say goodbye here. Sister Nana and I will head home first."
Huo Yu'er nodded. A trace of reluctance flashed in her deep-blue eyes, but she did not say it aloud.
Big Brother Lin has already done so much for me. I can't trouble him any more.
"Big Brother Lin, Sister Gu, take care on the way," Huo Yu'er said softly. She took a deep breath, then turned and headed north.
After taking a few steps, she looked back and waved to Lin Shuo. Only then did she truly set off, her figure gradually disappearing at the end of the forest path.
Lin Shuo watched her go. He did not look away until her slender figure had vanished completely among the trees.
"Let's go." Gu Yuena's voice rang out beside him, cool as ever, though Lin Shuo heard the faintest note of impatience in it.
She did not wait for his answer. With a sweep of her hand, she opened another silver space gate. Beyond it, the ancient canopy of the Star Dou Great Forest could just be seen, blocking out the sky.
Lin Shuo glanced at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He said nothing and stepped through the gate.
At the Lake of Life in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, a space rift opened without a sound, and two figures stepped out.
The moment Lin Shuo landed, a golden figure shot toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow and crashed straight into his arms.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's golden fur shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. Its amber vertical pupils sparkled, and its tail swept behind it in a blur. It rubbed its head hard against Lin Shuo's chest, letting out a plaintive whine.
The impact made Lin Shuo stagger half a step. Once he steadied himself, he reached out and rubbed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's furry head.
"This time, I'll stay in the Star Dou Great Forest for a few more days."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lifted its head from his arms and eyed him suspiciously with its amber pupils. "Really?"
"Really." Lin Shuo crouched down and earnestly rubbed its ears.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's ears twitched between his fingers, and its tail wagged even faster. At last, it closed its eyes in satisfaction, hopped down from Lin Shuo's arms, circled his legs twice, then obediently lay down beside his feet.
Di Tian walked over from nearby, clad in black, his face stern. He knelt before Lin Shuo and Gu Yuena and spoke in a steady voice. "My Lord, welcome back."
"Rise, Di Tian." Lin Shuo raised a hand slightly. "You've worked hard during this time."
"It was my duty."
Lin Shuo glanced down at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, which was hooking the tip of its tail around his ankle, and shook his head helplessly.
Gu Yuena stood to one side. The faintest hint of a smile flickered in her violet eyes, but it was soon veiled by her usual cool expression.