Brothers for Life

The lights in the room were still on. Bing Yekong knocked on the door, and Shui Yue'er's muffled voice came from within. "Who is it?"

"Sister Yue'er, it's me."

The door was pulled open almost instantly. Shui Yue'er stood behind it in a nightgown, her long hair hanging loose and messy around her shoulders. Crumbs from a snack still clung to the corner of her mouth, making her look like she had just secretly eaten a late-night meal and was about to sleep.

"Yekong? Why are you here so late..." She stopped halfway through her sentence when Bing Yekong held out a jade bottle before her.

"What's this?" Shui Yue'er took it curiously and removed the stopper. At the bottom lay a pill the size of a longan, milky white throughout and covered in golden pill patterns. A dense wave of soul power washed over her.

"A Creation Mystic Soul Pill," Bing Yekong said concisely. "It was refined from various immortal herbs along with several high-grade medicinal herbs. It can greatly increase soul power and temper the body. After taking it, breaking through a few levels shouldn't be a problem."

Shui Yue'er froze.

She looked at the pill, then at Bing Yekong. Her lips parted and closed again, and only after a long while did she squeeze out a sentence. "Y-you refined this specifically for me?"

Bing Yekong nodded. "Mm. I already gave one to Sister Bing'er. You're much weaker than she is. If you don't make up for it soon, you'll probably come in last in the next academy assessment."

He said it lightly, but Shui Yue'er understood perfectly well. Bing Yekong had been run ragged these past few days, going to the Far North and refining pills. She had watched it all but had been unable to help, leaving her to worry uselessly. Yet the moment he was done, he had thought of her.

Shui Yue'er pursed her lips, and her eyes started reddening again.

"What are you doing... You're always like this..." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes hard. "You're so nice to me whenever you feel like it. How am I supposed to repay you...?"

"Who said you had to repay me?" Bing Yekong smiled and patted her head. "Hurry up and absorb it. I'll stand guard for you."

Shui Yue'er nodded firmly and stopped being coy. She turned and returned to her room, sat cross-legged, and placed the Creation Mystic Soul Pill into her mouth.

The instant the pill entered her stomach, a warm yet vast medicinal force burst within her like spring thunder, swiftly sweeping through her limbs and bones. Shui Yue'er let out a muffled groan, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, but she soon steadied her breathing.

Bing Yekong sat opposite her and released Ultimate Ice soul power, forming a gentle barrier to shield her from outside interference. Three hours passed. As the sky began to brighten, a distinct wave of soul power erupted from Shui Yue'er's body.

"Level thirty-four!" Shui Yue'er opened her eyes and cried out in delight. "I broke through to level thirty-four! I feel so light all over!"

She had only been level thirty-one before. Rising three levels from a single pill would have been enough to make any Soul Master academy fight desperately over it.

Bing Yekong nodded in satisfaction. "The effect is decent. But you still need to cultivate diligently and stabilize your foundation as soon as possible."

Shui Yue'er nodded repeatedly, then suddenly lunged forward and hugged Bing Yekong's arm. "Yekong, you're the best!"

Bing Yekong was dragged around by her until he finally managed to pull free. Then he said seriously, "Stabilize your realm properly. Don't rush to practice new soul skills. I'm going to the Feng Family."

"The Feng Family? What for?"

"To give Feng Xiaotian one."

Shui Yue'er blinked, then suddenly revealed a mischievous smile. "Oh, giving a pill to your love rival? You're really generous."

Bing Yekong could not be bothered to respond and turned to leave.

Element City was just waking up in the early morning. A few vendors heading for the morning market were setting up stalls along the streets. Bing Yekong crossed several streets and soon arrived at the gates of the Feng Family estate.

The disciples guarding the gate recognized him. Without even announcing his arrival, they let him through. Bing Yekong made his way familiarly across the front courtyard. The moment he entered the Feng Family training grounds, he heard a burst of howling wind.

Feng Xiaotian stood at the center of the training grounds with the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf martial soul possessed. The azure wings on his back were spread wide as he spun at high speed in midair, whipping up streaks of sharp wind blades.

He was practicing Gale Demon Wolf's Thirty-Six Slashes.

Although he still lacked refinement, compared to the youth who had once struggled to perform even five slashes, he could now unleash more than twenty in one breath. His progress was obvious to the naked eye.

Feng Xiaotian sensed someone approaching, stopped his practice, withdrew his martial soul, and landed on the ground. When he saw that it was Bing Yekong, obvious delight appeared on his face. "Yekong? You're back!"

Bing Yekong stepped closer, examining the soul power rippling around Feng Xiaotian, and raised his brows slightly. "You broke through?"

"Heh." Feng Xiaotian puffed out his chest with some pride. "Level forty-three. It's thanks to that fight with you back then. It let me touch the threshold of a self-created soul skill. And with your encouragement, my cultivation has sped up a lot over the past two years."

He paused, his gaze falling on Bing Yekong as that battle-hungry spirit rose within him again. "Now that you're back, how about another match? I'm much stronger than I was back then!"

Bing Yekong glanced at him without answering immediately. Instead, he took a jade bottle from his Soul Guidance Device and handed it over.

"Take it."

"What's this?" Feng Xiaotian accepted it in confusion. The moment he opened it, the dense soul power radiating from the pill inside stunned him. "Th-this... what is this thing?"

"A Creation Mystic Soul Pill," Bing Yekong said. "Take it first, then we can talk about sparring."

Feng Xiaotian went still for a moment.

He might usually have been carefree, but he was not an idiot. The aura given off by this pill made it clear that it was no ordinary item. It was probably priceless and unavailable on the market. Yet Bing Yekong had handed it to him without a second word. This friendship...

"Yekong..." Feng Xiaotian's voice suddenly tightened. "Why are you giving this to me instead of saving it for yourself? We're not even blood brothers..."

"The money you spent treating me to grilled fish could buy half a city. What's wrong with me giving you a pill in return?" Bing Yekong kicked him irritably in the shin. "Hurry up and stop dawdling. I'm still waiting to fight you."

The kick made Feng Xiaotian stagger. He clutched his leg and sucked in a breath, but his expression changed. His initial shock and confusion transformed into a look filled with both gratitude and solemn resolve.

He clenched the jade bottle tightly and nodded hard. "Fine! I'll take it! You're my brother, Bing Yekong, and I've decided that for life! From now on, if you need my help with anything, just say the word—even if it means mountains of blades and seas of fire!"

Bing Yekong waved him off. "Enough nonsense. Hurry up and absorb it. I'll wait here."

Feng Xiaotian immediately sat cross-legged, took out the Creation Mystic Soul Pill, and swallowed it in one gulp.

The instant the pill entered his stomach, his body jolted violently. Azure wind-attributed soul power spilled out of control, stirring up a whirlwind around him. But he quickly forced it back under control and entered a stable state of absorption.