Huo Wu's Moved Heart, A Passionate Kiss

"Sister Huo Wu, didn't I come back perfectly fine?"

"I went to pick out a spirit bone, not to the chopping block."

Li Qinglian smiled and patted Huo Wu on the shoulder.

"That's different. Your talent has been completely exposed to the eyes of the world."

"Spirit Hall will definitely do everything they can to win you over. If you aren't willing to join them, they may very well move against you."

Worry showed on Huo Wu's face.

Huo Wu's analysis was actually quite sound.

But whether it was Qian Renxue or Bibi Dong, their sights were no longer confined to Douluo Continent.

Li Qinglian had something that could help increase their chances of becoming gods. Qian Renxue would not act against him.

"I've already handled the things you're worried about. It's not as exaggerated as you think."

"How did you handle it?"

"That's a secret for now. But all you need to know is that Spirit Hall won't deal with me."

Li Qinglian pinched Huo Wu's cheek.

"Oh, right. This is for you."

"What?"

The moment Huo Wu lowered her head, she was drawn to the object in Li Qinglian's hand.

It was a spirit bone.

It was not large, and looked like an arm bone. A fiery-red light flickered across the surface of the spirit bone.

"This... this is..."

"Is this what you picked from Spirit Hall's treasury? You're giving it to me?"

A dazed look flashed through Huo Wu's eyes as she slowly raised them to look at Li Qinglian.

This was a spirit bone!

And since Li Qinglian had personally gone to choose it, it had to be a spirit bone of ten-thousand-year age!

On Douluo Continent, spirit bones were unimaginably precious. Any random spirit bone placed in an auction house could fetch a sky-high price of over a million!

And Li Qinglian was actually willing to give such a precious thing to her?

"It's for you."

Li Qinglian brought the spirit bone before Huo Wu.

"This spirit bone is called the Explosive Burning Flame Right Arm Bone."

"It can significantly increase your explosive power, and it's also quite compatible with your martial soul."

"Sister Huo Wu, since your martial soul has already completed its second awakening as a Body Martial Soul, you can no longer simply treat it as a control-type martial soul. To a certain extent, you can actually take the burst-damage route too."

Huo Wu's heart trembled.

Listening to the concern in Li Qinglian's tone, her entire heart was pounding violently, as if it would burst out of her body in the very next moment.

"This spirit bone is so precious. Are you sure you want to give it to me?"

Huo Wu's voice was soft.

"Of course. If I hadn't wanted to give you this spirit bone, I wouldn't have come to participate in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament."

Li Qinglian folded his hands behind his head and lazily leaned against the wall, speaking as if to himself.

"Besides, Sister Huo Wu, why are you being polite with me? Last time, I took that Red Flame Golden Roc Wing Bone, so I should give you another spirit bone in return."

"And this spirit bone isn't as precious as an External Spirit Bone."

He had always remembered how Huo Wu had looked after him all these years.

The importance of that External Spirit Bone to him even surpassed that of a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone.

An External Spirit Bone that could grow and evolve along with its host's cultivation was simply too good.

"How can that be the same? That External Spirit Bone belonged to you in the first place."

"Besides, you gave me an Immortal Herb, helped me achieve the second awakening of my martial soul, and let me shine brilliantly in this tournament."

"What you've given me is far more than what I've helped you with."

A complicated look flashed deep in Huo Wu's eyes.

She had not expected it.

Li Qinglian had come to participate in this tournament to win this spirit bone and give it to her.

The faint bitterness in her heart from seeing Li Qinglian and Shui Bing'er kissing vanished completely, and intense love surged up from within her.

"Sister Huo Wu, just take it. I can't use this spirit bone anyway. The spirit bones I, Li Qinglian, absorb in the future won't be lower than a hundred thousand years."

"Pfft. All right."

Huo Wu gripped the soul bone tightly in her hand and put it away.

In truth, she also felt that a ten-thousand-year soul bone was not worthy of someone as outstanding as Li Qinglian.

"But..."

"Shui Bing'er got to kiss you, so I want one too!"

Huo Wu clutched the fabric at Li Qinglian's back and kissed him.

Huo Wu's lips covered his without warning, carrying a scalding tremor, like a ball of fire gone out of control crashing into Li Qinglian's arms.

Li Qinglian froze slightly. His body, leaning against the wall, stiffened for an instant, then relaxed.

He instinctively raised his hand, wanting to steady Huo Wu by the shoulders.

The knuckles of her fingers clutching his clothes had gone white. It was clearly the posture of someone who had mustered every ounce of courage she had.

Her eyes were closed, her lashes trembling faintly, and there was a faint trace of moisture at the corners of her eyes.

A moment later, Huo Wu drew back a little.

Her forehead rested against his, and her breathing still carried a hurriedness that had yet to calm.

"...Now Shui Bing'er and I are even."

Her voice was hoarse and soft. She was clearly forcing herself to sound imposing, yet the roots of her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.

Li Qinglian was stunned for two breaths. Looking down at her stubborn yet shy expression, he could not help laughing.

"Sister Huo Wu, how is this even? This is clearly you collecting the debt with interest."

He raised his hand and gently rubbed away that almost invisible glimmer of moisture at the corner of her eye with the pad of his finger, his voice carrying a helpless yet indulgent smile.

"Hmph."

"You big pig's trotter."

Huo Wu glared at him, her eyes still red-rimmed, but she did not argue again.

Her fingers tightened around that soul bone, then, as if afraid she might hurt something, quietly loosened their grip.

Moonlight spilled in through the window, illuminating the fiery-red soul bone in her palm, and also illuminating the faint curve at the corner of her lips that she could not press down no matter what.

If she could, she truly wanted to stay with Li Qinglian for the rest of her life. Just the two of them together.

Love was selfish. She wanted to have him all to herself too.

But Shui Bing'er was the woman she could never get around. Li Qinglian and Shui Bing'er's martial soul fusion had decided the bond between them in this life.

"Impressive. This brother-in-law, I approve."

Huo Wushuang had originally wanted to grab Li Qinglian and give him a vicious beating.

His own little sister was sincere toward him, yet he had openly embraced and kissed Shui Bing'er on the competition stage.

Even knowing that Li Qinglian and Shui Bing'er were a match made in heaven, he was still displeased.

Since when had his sister ever suffered such grievance?

But when he saw Li Qinglian hand the tournament reward, such a precious soul bone, into his sister's palm without the slightest hesitation, his anger instantly vanished.

No matter what, Li Qinglian was at least sincere toward his sister. Otherwise, he would not have given her the soul bone.

As for being a womanizer, then so be it.

As long as Li Qinglian was truly good to his sister, and his sister was willing to accept it, why should he interfere?

Besides.

A soul bone!

If he were Li Qinglian, would he be willing to give it away?

"Huo Wu, that girl, really has met a good man. He's even willing to give her a soul bone. But Qinglian, you helped Tianshui Academy win the championship this time, so next time, it should be our Blazing Fire Academy's turn, right?" Huo Lie said with a hearty laugh.

This time, Li Qinglian and Shui Bing'er winning the championship had still involved a bit of a trick.

If Spirit Hall had prepared protective gear in advance that could maintain body temperature as much as possible, the result might have been completely different.

But the next tournament would be five years later. By then, Li Qinglian probably would not need Shui Bing'er's involvement. He alone would likely be able to help the Blazing Fire Team bring back the championship trophy.