Ling Xuqing held Gu Yuena's chilly little hand and quietly returned to his dormitory.
"Go take a hot bath and wash all the dirt off." Ling Xuqing led Gu Yuena to the washroom, set the clean clothes and hot water he'd prepared aside, then thoughtfully adjusted the water temperature before gently reminding her.
"Mm..." Gu Yuena obediently nodded, an unusual light flickering in her violet eyes.
Clutching the clothes that carried the scent of sunshine, she turned and stepped into the washroom.
As the water began to run, Ling Xuqing sat on the edge of the bed and focused his thoughts.
"Xiao Wu, Ah Yin, come out."
At his call, two beams of light flowed out from between his brows.
Xiao Wu and Ah Yin's spirit forms took shape in the center of the dormitory.
"Xuqing, did that little girl go take a bath?"
The moment Xiao Wu appeared, she hurried over to the washroom door, perking up her ears to listen to the sound of the water inside. Her big eyes were full of curiosity and anticipation.
Ah Yin stood nearby too, her gentle eyes full of affection. "The child was so dirty. Once she's cleaned up, she'll surely be a pretty little girl."
Before long, the sound of water in the washroom gradually stopped.
"Creak—"
The wooden door was gently pushed open, and a cloud of warm steam drifted out with a faint, clean fragrance.
The moment they saw the small figure emerge, both Xiao Wu and Ah Yin froze.
She was beautiful enough to take one's breath away.
Fresh from her bath, Gu Yuena's damp silver hair lay softly against her fair cheeks. Droplets slid slowly along her delicate jawline and disappeared into the hollow of her collarbone.
She had changed into the pale purple dress Ling Xuqing had bought. Silver patterns embroidered along the hem shimmered softly in the light.
Her amethyst eyes looked even clearer and deeper through the haze of steam, as though they held the entire starry sky.
"Oh my..." Xiao Wu couldn't help covering her mouth and exclaiming:
"Na'er... you're so pretty! You look just like a little fairy who stepped out of a painting!"
Ah Yin was equally dazzled. She walked over and gently stroked Gu Yuena's soft silver hair, praising her warmly. "That's right, Na'er is beautiful. Silver hair and violet eyes—you're the loveliest child we've ever seen."
Under their gazes, Gu Yuena grew a little embarrassed, two blushes rising on her fair cheeks.
She lowered her head and fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "Thank you... thank you for the compliments, big sisters..."
Ling Xuqing looked at the transformed Gu Yuena, and a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes too.
He smiled, walked over to the table, and opened all the oil-paper packages he'd brought back from their shopping trip.
"Come on, Na'er. You must be hungry after your bath. Big brother bought all of this for you."
The table was instantly covered with a dazzling spread of treats: bright-red candied hawthorns, steaming roasted sweet potatoes, delicate osmanthus cakes, and all kinds of pastries and fruit.
Looking at the food spread across the table, a shimmer welled in Gu Yuena's violet eyes.
She had pretended to be a beggar to get close to Ling Xuqing, but now, seeing this gentle big brother and his two beautiful sisters, her heart, sealed away for tens of thousands of years, truly felt a trace of warmth she had not known in ages.
"Thank you, big brother..." Gu Yuena picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and nibbled at it, like a little hamster guarding its food.
Ling Xuqing sat beside her, watching her eat, and softly asked, "Na'er, do you have a Martial Soul?"
At the question, Gu Yuena swallowed the osmanthus cake in her mouth and nodded vigorously.
"Big brother, Na'er has a Martial Soul!"
She set down the cake, took a deep breath, and held out her fair little hand.
"Hum—"
Brilliant silver light gathered in her palm. A moment later, a long spear, gleaming all over with silver and radiating an utterly sharp aura, slowly appeared in her hand.
The Silver Overlord Spear!
The shaft was long and slender, carved with intricate silver dragon patterns. Its tip glimmered with a chilling light that made one's heart tremble.
"Big brother, look!" Gu Yuena proudly held the Silver Overlord Spear up to Ling Xuqing, her violet eyes full of anticipation.
Ling Xuqing looked at the Silver Overlord Spear, and a glint of dark gold flashed in the depths of his eyes.
He gently patted Gu Yuena's head and praised her warmly. "Mm, our Na'er is amazing! This is a top-tier weapon Martial Soul!"
At the words "our Na'er," Gu Yuena's cheeks turned scarlet, even the tips of her ears tinged pink.
She shyly lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help lifting in an uncontrollable smile.
Ling Xuqing looked away and continued, "Na'er, have you registered your Martial Soul with Spirit Hall?"
Gu Yuena shook her head, a flicker of confusion crossing her violet eyes. "Big brother, Na'er doesn't know how to register it..."
Ling Xuqing smiled and patiently explained:
"It's all right. Big brother will take you to the Spirit Hall Branch tomorrow to register. Once you've registered, Na'er can collect a Soul Master's allowance every month. Then you won't have to worry about buying tasty treats."
"Really?!" Gu Yuena's eyes lit up at once. She excitedly grabbed Ling Xuqing's sleeve.
"We can get an allowance too?!"
"Of course." Ling Xuqing affectionately pinched her cheek. "Big brother will take you tomorrow, all right?"
"Okay! Na'er will listen to big brother!" Gu Yuena nodded hard, her smile blooming like a flower.
Just then, Ling Xuqing sensed something.
He stood up and focused his thoughts. A long spear, dark gold all over and radiating an overwhelming aura, slowly appeared in his hand.
The Golden Overlord Spear!
"Hum—!!!"
The instant the Golden Overlord Spear appeared, the Silver Overlord Spear in Gu Yuena's hand began trembling violently!
Two beams of light—one gold, one silver—wove together and spiraled around each other in the dormitory, bursting into a dazzling light of resonance!
"What is this..."
Ling Xuqing and Gu Yuena both froze.
They knew that the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King were the two halves into which the Dragon God had split, and that an innate bond connected them.
Their Martial Souls would naturally resonate as well.
This was the resonance of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!
But Xiao Wu and Ah Yin knew nothing about this.
"Oh my! What a powerful resonance!"
Xiao Wu cried out in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at the interwoven golden and silver light, her face filled with disbelief.
Ah Yin was equally stunned. She murmured:
"This resonance... it's as if you two were made for each other..."
She looked at Ling Xuqing and Gu Yuena, curiosity and anticipation flickering in her eyes.
"Why don't you try it?" Ah Yin suggested softly. "See what you can fuse together?"
Before you continue