Na'er

"Follow your heart..." Ripples stirred in Leng Yaozhu's heart.

She was the head of the Leng Family and the vice director of the Spirit Pagoda. The power and position she possessed meant she could not act entirely as she wished. Many times, she had to compromise for the interests of the family and the Spirit Pagoda. That was the responsibility she ought to bear.

Yet when she met Xiling's clear eyes, which held a clarity and composure far beyond his age—

And saw his childish face, which occasionally revealed a maturity that did not match his years—she still could not help flicking him on the forehead.

"Hiss—Teacher, what was that for?!"

Xiling hurriedly covered his forehead, his brows furrowing slightly. His round eyes were filled with indignation, and the pretentious maturity he had shown moments ago was completely gone.

Seeing him like this, the corners of Leng Yaozhu's lips unconsciously curled into a faint smile. "Such a little old man."

"I'm seriously starting to wonder whether a soul several hundred years old is living inside that tiny body of yours."

"Hmph." Xiling turned his head away, looking as though he could not be bothered with her.

Seeing him display such innocent childishness, Leng Yaozhu merely smiled without speaking. This was how a six-year-old ought to behave.

"Alright, don't be angry. I agree to let you stay here."

Leng Yaozhu withdrew her hand, and her tone regained some of its calm as she slowly said, "I agree to let you stay here."

The moment he heard that, Xiling no longer felt any pain. "Really, Teacher?"

"Of course it's true." Leng Yaozhu raised a brow faintly. A trace of the majesty of an Ultimate Douluo unconsciously emanated from her, yet it carried no sense of oppression.

"As the vice director of the Spirit Pagoda and a dignified Ultimate Douluo, would I lie to a snot-nosed little brat like you?"

Then her tone shifted, gaining a hint of seriousness. "However, I have a condition for allowing you to stay."

"A condition?" Xiling immediately reined in his joy. His little body stood ramrod straight as he looked at her earnestly. "Tell me, Teacher. What condition? No matter what it is, I agree!"

"You must report your cultivation progress to me once every six months. If you fail to meet the standard..."

At that, her eyes narrowed slightly. Without drawing attention to it, she raised her clenched fist, her tone carrying a deliberately stern threat.

"If your cultivation progress fails to meet the standard when the time comes, if you don't meet my requirements..."

"I'll drag you back here and supervise your cultivation day and night."

Seeing her put on such a stern act, warmth rose in Xiling's heart. "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll definitely cultivate properly. I won't disgrace you."

Leng Yaozhu rubbed Xiling's head of white hair, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

"It's good that you understand."

Then, she took out a necklace and held it out before Xiling.

The necklace was crafted entirely from lustrous, warm spirit jade. Its chain was slender, and its pendant was shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings to take flight.

"This is a gift from your teacher. It contains three of my full-power attacks."

"If you encounter mortal danger in the future, don't hesitate. Inject soul power into it and activate it. I'll sense your location and rush over immediately."

Xiling raised his little face and stared blankly at the necklace before him. Then he looked at Leng Yaozhu's gentle eyes and brows, a tiny curve appearing at the corners of his mouth.

He accepted the necklace, his little face filled with solemnity. "Thank you, Teacher!"

"Silly child." Leng Yaozhu chuckled softly. "Cultivate well. Strength is the foundation of everything."

After giving him a few more instructions, Leng Yaozhu left. After all, she was the vice director of the Spirit Pagoda and had countless matters to attend to.

They had investigated the strange phenomenon in Eastsea City for several days without finding any leads. She had no intention of wasting more time here, so she handed the matter directly to her subordinates. There was still a mountain of work waiting for her at headquarters.

Watching Leng Yaozhu's figure vanish from sight in an instant, Xiling shook his head. "My bargain-bin teacher isn't bad at all."

The next moment, a faint glint flashed in his eyes. With a thought, a slender yet stable spatial rift silently opened before him.

Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped lightly into it.

In but an instant, the spatial fluctuations dispersed, and Xiling had already appeared inside the academy dormitory.

This was his first soul skill, Spatial Positioning. It could not have been more convenient for traveling, consumed little soul power, and was absurdly practical.

After returning to the dormitory, Xiling first took a nice, comfortable bath and changed out of his academy uniform. He planned to splurge tonight.

What could he do? He was rich now. A genuine multimillionaire, in fact. Naturally, he had to treat himself to a good meal.

Thinking of that, Xiling beamed with delight. Being supported by someone really was different—he did not even need to work hard to earn money himself.

The lingering glow of dusk spilled down, gilding Eastsea City in golden light.

Xiling strolled through the streets and alleys of Eastsea City, his azure eyes looking around with curiosity.

As he walked, a burst of discordant laughter reached his ears. A scene not far away by the roadside seized his attention, making him stop.

"Hehe, little sister, where are your parents? Why are you here all alone?"

Following the sound, he saw three shady-looking young men surrounding a small, frail little girl at a street corner, blocking her path with malicious expressions.

Their hands were tucked into their pockets, lewd smiles hanging from their lips. The improper intent in their voices was unmistakable.

Since all of them had their backs to Xiling and completely blocked his view, he could only vaguely see the little girl's slender figure in the corner. He could not make out her appearance at all.

"Big brother has some delicious candy here. Are you hungry? Big brother will take you somewhere nice to eat. I'll buy you anything you want, alright?"

The leading young man rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed hungrily on the little girl.

The little girl shuddered in fright, shaking her little head vigorously like a rattle drum. Her body instinctively shrank backward, curling into a tiny ball.

The young men exchanged glances. One of them immediately stepped forward, intending to seize the little girl's wrist and forcibly take her away.

Just as that large hand was about to touch the little girl's sleeve, a seemingly childish little hand, yet one with considerable strength, clamped tightly around the young man's wrist.

The young man felt a sharp pain shoot through his wrist, as though it had been caught in iron pincers. He could not move at all. Angrily, he turned his head to see who dared ruin his plans, only to find a white-haired little boy of around six years old.

"Where did this little brat come from? Why are you sticking your nose into other people's business? Let go already!" the yellow-haired young man snarled furiously, struggling with all his strength, yet unable to break free from Xiling's grip.

He cursed inwardly, Damn it, how is this little brat so strong?

The remaining two young men immediately closed in, surrounding Xiling and the little girl. With fierce expressions, they threatened him.

"Kid, I advise you not to meddle in things that don't concern you. Get lost now, or we'll deal with you too!"

Xiling lifted his eyes. The childishness and laziness usually within his clear gaze faded away, replaced by icy coldness. "There are three kinds of people I hate most in this life. One of them happens to be human traffickers."

"So..."

The final note of his words fell softly, giving the young men no chance to react.

The air around them suddenly twisted. Invisible spatial power rippled outward, and a cold flash silently swept past, so fast that no one could catch it with the naked eye. All they heard was a soft whoosh!

"Ah—!"

The leading young man instantly let out a heart-rending scream that echoed through the entire street.

His entire right arm had been directly severed, the wound incomparably smooth.

The young man clutched his empty shoulder, his body convulsing violently from the pain. His face was as white as paper as he collapsed stiffly to the ground, rolling about while his wails continued without end.

The remaining young men froze where they stood, their faces filled with terror. One of them could not stop his teeth from chattering, and in a voice shaking beyond recognition, he forced out several broken words: "A-a soul master!"