Hu Liena's Attachment, Returning to the Star Dou Great Forest

Three days later.

The Soul Guidance Research Institute was officially established under the Spirit Hall.

A research institute jointly founded by the Holy Son and Holy Maiden was something new even within the Spirit Hall.

For the time being, however, Li Qinglian had no intention of making the institute too grand, so it did not cause much of a stir.

Making Soul Tools was no easy task.

After the institute was founded, Li Qinglian began packing his things.

"Nana, I'll have to trouble you with the institute."

"For now, just recruit some students interested in Soul Tools. You can slowly develop it as a club. I'll draft some papers on Soul Guidance theory for you as soon as possible."

"We'll talk about everything else after I return."

Li Qinglian packed his luggage into a storage Soul Tool and walked out shoulder to shoulder with Hu Liena.

As they walked, he continued giving her instructions.

When it came to Soul Tools, Li Qinglian possessed the perspective of a later generation.

But this field could not rely on Li Qinglian alone.

Li Qinglian roughly understood that the Soul Guidance formations in Soul Tools had something in common with the electrical signal controls of electronic devices from his previous life.

He could still work out some basic Soul Guidance formations.

But beyond the formations, Soul Tools also involved extremely complex mechanical knowledge.

However, Li Qinglian knew there was an expert on the continent who was proficient in this field: Tang San!

The Tang Sect's hidden weapons were products of mechanical structures refined to the pinnacle.

Even without being powered by soul power, they possessed such terrifying might. That alone spoke volumes.

If he could obtain those techniques, Li Qinglian's path toward advancing Soul Tools would already be half complete.

"Mm."

Hu Liena lowered her head, her spirits low and her expression somewhat dejected.

She did not know how long Li Qinglian would be leaving for.

She knew that Li Qinglian was someone who yearned for freedom. He could not possibly like a solemn place like the Spirit Hall.

"Nana, I'm only leaving for a while. It's not as if I'm never coming back."

Seeing how dejected Hu Liena looked, Li Qinglian reached out and tidied the windblown strands of hair by her face.

Even Li Qinglian could not understand it.

They had not known each other that deeply, so why did Hu Liena care about him so much?

And he could not avoid it either.

Hu Liena truly gave tremendous support to his Soul Tool enterprise. In the early stages of the institute, having a Holy Maiden join was already an incredibly fortunate start.

He had nothing against Hu Liena either. Among the women he knew, several were simply too outstanding. But in truth, the only one suited for a relationship was Hu Liena.

"But you don't like the Spirit Hall. Who knows whether, once you leave, you won't want to come back?"

Hu Liena bit her lip, her eyes beginning to redden.

She knew Qian Renxue was also outside.

What if Qian Renxue and Li Qinglian got together then?

"I won't."

"Nana, I can tell you clearly: I value the institute immensely! If this institute succeeds, it will be more valuable than a hundred years of bitter cultivation!"

"That is why I'll return very soon."

Li Qinglian looked seriously into Hu Liena's eyes as he spoke.

"Then remember to come back early. I'll wait for you."

Hu Liena's voice carried a trace of reluctance. Then she stepped forward, wrapped both arms around Li Qinglian's waist, and buried her face against his chest.

Breathing in the clean scent of the young man, Hu Liena felt as though her entire world had quieted down.

She knew that among the women Li Qinglian knew, she was not the most outstanding. She would not place too much pressure on him. As long as, whenever Li Qinglian occasionally looked back, he could see her, that would be enough.

"Alright."

Li Qinglian's body stiffened for a moment.

But he soon took the initiative to wrap his arms around Hu Liena's slender, soft waist.

Bibi Dong stood atop a tall building, watching this scene. The corners of her lips rose unconsciously into a fond smile.

In Bibi Dong's heart, Hu Liena was not merely her disciple, but also a projection of her emotions.

By naming Hu Liena the Holy Maiden and protecting her disciple, she was also protecting the naive and romantic self she had once been.

Unfortunately, thirty years ago...

The Spirit Hall had not possessed a Holy Son as outstanding as Li Qinglian.

Back then, she had never had the chance to experience a beautiful romance.

She had not experienced it herself, and she did not want Hu Liena to end up like her.

Many people in the Spirit Hall could not understand why Bibi Dong treated Hu Liena so well, even better than she treated her own daughter, Qian Renxue.

In truth, Bibi Dong saw herself in Hu Liena. She wanted to know what kind of life Hu Liena—herself—would have lived if she had never gone through those things.

"Qinglian, be careful."

"I know."

Li Qinglian boarded the carriage, and it gradually rolled away into the distance.

Li Qinglian leaned out the carriage window and waved at Hu Liena.

"You should head back. I'll be back soon."

Hu Liena stood where she was, biting the corner of her lip.

She was reluctant to part with him, but she was no longer as dejected.

At least this time, she could feel that Li Qinglian did not reject her.

"Teacher, why are you here?"

"Li Qinglian and I, there's nothing..."

Hu Liena turned around and saw Bibi Dong standing behind her. She jumped in fright and hurriedly tried to explain herself, stumbling over her words.

"Silly girl. What do you take your teacher for? If you can be together with Li Qinglian, your teacher will only be happy." Bibi Dong's gaze was full of tenderness as she reached out and smoothed Hu Liena's hair.

"Ah?"

Hu Liena froze for a moment.

"Li Qinglian is very outstanding. If you like him, then work harder and stand by his side."

"But, Teacher... he doesn't seem to like me that much."

"And among the women he knows, I can only rank sixth." Thinking of this, Hu Liena felt somewhat dejected.

"Ah? How could that be? My Nana is so beautiful. How could you only be sixth?" Bibi Dong was stunned. Hu Liena truly was very beautiful.

For women, power and wealth were highly nurturing.

As the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, Hu Liena's beauty, coupled with the bearing that came from holding a high position for so long, made her exceptionally captivating.

Combined with her fox-like allure, Hu Liena was both sacred and charming, making her especially skilled at grasping a man's heart.

"Teacher only ranks fourth. Qian Renxue is fifth." Hu Liena stuck out her tongue.

"Ah?" Bibi Dong's eyes widened.

Hearing Hu Liena say this, she roughly understood.

Although she loved Hu Liena, Xue'er was indeed far more outstanding than Nana. She simply had not expected her own appearance to rank fourth, even above Xue'er.

Still, she was quite confident in her own looks. Living a pampered life, she had great confidence in her charm. She just had not expected Li Qinglian to rate her appearance so highly as well.

"Then who are the top three?"

Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes shifted as she asked with a frown.

"I don't know. Li Qinglian said their identities were very special, so he couldn't say."

"Is that so?"

Bibi Dong's heart skipped a beat.

She understood. They were probably three female deities.

No matter how beautiful a human body was, it could not compare to Goddesses who had transcended the mortal world.

They appeared to be ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, but in truth, that was already an extremely high appraisal.

"Silly girl."

"Actually, he already thinks very highly of you. Perhaps he simply favors more mature women."

The Star Dou Great Forest.

It remained as lush and verdant as ever.

Upon returning here, Li Qinglian felt as though he had come home.

At the bottom of Life Lake.

A pair of silver eyes suddenly opened, casting two chilling rays of light through the dark waters.

"That guy... he actually took so long to come back and see me."

The corners of Gu Yuena's lips lifted slightly, carrying a trace of dissatisfaction and a faint, almost imperceptible smile.