Revival Spring

"What is it, Liang?" Dugu Yan curled her lips into a smile as she looked at Zhou Liang, who stood half a head shorter than her.

It was obvious that Dugu Yan had gotten the wrong idea. Zhou Liang straightened his expression and said seriously, "Yan Yan, can I trust you?"

His exceptionally serious words and stern expression made Dugu Yan sense that something was different about Zhou Liang.

Looking at Zhou Liang, Dugu Yan smiled and slowly leaned close to his ear, whispering to him.

"I gave you my first kiss, and I kiss you every day. Tell me, can you trust me or not?"

Although Dugu Yan said this with a smile, the hand resting on Zhou Liang's waist had already begun to twist hard.

"Hiss!"

The sudden pain made Zhou Liang suck in a breath. He quickly seized Dugu Yan's hands and interlocked their fingers.

Holding Dugu Yan's hands beside her ears, he raised her arms, making her shoulders tilt back and her chest thrust forward.

Zhou Liang pressed tightly against Dugu Yan, kissed her, and said, "Don't be angry! After all, I'm going to share one of my biggest secrets with you!"

The moment Dugu Yan heard that, the forced smile on her lovely face vanished, replaced by immediate interest.

After all, everyone had a curious side, and a great secret always made people want to know more.

"Tell me already. What is it?" Dugu Yan looked slightly excited as she gazed at Zhou Liang so close before her, asking impatiently.

"Before I tell you, I need to ask you a few questions first!" Zhou Liang did not immediately reveal the secret.

Seeing Dugu Yan nod hurriedly, Zhou Liang began to ask.

"Yan Yan, this secret concerns my life. Can you promise not to tell anyone?" Zhou Liang asked Dugu Yan.

"I can!" Dugu Yan nodded, her expression utterly serious.

Zhou Liang nodded as well, then said, "Then can you stay with me forever? Through life and death?"

"Hmph! Are you planning to abandon me? I'm sticking with you for the rest of my life. If you dare abandon me, I'll bite you to death if I have to." Dugu Yan gave a coquettish snort.

"I could never bear to abandon you. You're stuck with me for life," Zhou Liang said seriously, shaking his head.

"Then one last question. Are you willing to give yourself to me completely?" Zhou Liang released Dugu Yan's hands, stepped back, and extended his right hand before her.

Dugu Yan looked at the palm of his right hand before her. Her face gradually flushed crimson, but she ultimately nodded and said, "I am!"

The instant those two words fell, an azure-blue radiance spread out. Waves like seawater swept through the entire room.

Dugu Yan suddenly felt her mind go blank. Her whole body seemed like an empty shell, and she became somewhat dazed.

A ray of light appeared before her eyes, and a peculiar point of light emerged in Zhou Liang's palm.

That point of light drew Dugu Yan's gaze.

That was yours! That was everything you had!

Those thoughts flooded Dugu Yan's mind. Her face instantly turned pale, and she fiercely raised her hand to grab Zhou Liang's right wrist, using all her strength to clutch it tightly.

"Th-this... what is this?" Dugu Yan asked weakly, staring fixedly at the point of light.

"This is a person's True Spirit Mark, the most essential point of origin of a person. You could say it sustains a person's existence. Once it is lost, that person dies immediately." Zhou Liang looked at Dugu Yan and spoke slowly.

"It... is mine!" Dugu Yan's face grew even paler. She slightly raised her eyes and said.

"Yes, it's Yan Yan's!" Zhou Liang nodded.

Zhou Liang's confirmation made Dugu Yan's face turn even paler. Just as her thoughts were veering completely off course, she suddenly remembered his words.

"...Once it is lost, that person dies immediately!"

But Dugu Yan had not died. She finally came to her senses and, seeing Zhou Liang secretly laughing before her, pounced on him despite her pale face.

"Ahhh! You actually scared me!"

After Dugu Yan threw herself into Zhou Liang's arms, she suddenly lost control and began to cry.

"Damn, I went too far!" Zhou Liang's expression tightened as he hurriedly began comforting her.

Only after quite a while did Dugu Yan calm down. She left Zhou Liang's embrace, brought her left hand before her eyes, and examined the point of light that she could not take her eyes off.

"Is this really my True Spirit Mark? Didn't you say that once it leaves someone, that person dies immediately?" Dugu Yan asked as she observed it in confusion.

"That's because of my Martial Soul! It's one of its abilities!" Zhou Liang said as he reached out and gently wiped the tears from Dugu Yan's face.

"Martial Soul? Your Martial Soul Soldier can do something like this too?" Color gradually returned to Dugu Yan's face, but she still asked in confusion.

"Not my Martial Soul Soldier. It's the effect of my second Martial Soul, Revival Spring!" Zhou Liang smiled faintly and pointed downward with his left hand.

"Second Martial Soul!" Dugu Yan cried out, her eyes widening as she hurriedly looked down.

The place where they stood was no longer the dormitory floor, but a stone-textured surface.

A layer of transparent spring water, gently rippling, covered their ankles. Yet strangely, neither their shoes nor their exposed ankles felt wet.

It was as though the water did not exist at all, though it felt like a gentle breeze brushing past them.

Threads of power seeped into their bodies and souls, bringing wondrous changes to their entire bodies.

Beneath the transparent spring water stood a solid circular altar, descending layer by layer in a stepped trapezoidal shape. The topmost layer had a palm-wide rim, one foot high.

The inside of the uppermost layer was made of rectangular stones, with a fist-sized circular stone in the center. Altogether, it resembled a Bagua formation.

The transparent spring water slowly seeped out from the gaps beside the circular stone and those rectangular stones.

Once the spring water rose over the rim and flowed outward, it immediately became light and ethereal, like air. After drifting past the final step of the lowest level, it completely vanished into nothingness.

This wondrous sight left Dugu Yan utterly stunned.

"My second Martial Soul is called Revival Spring. Its most fundamental ability is to extract a person's True Spirit Mark and merge it into the stones of the spring, allowing that person to gain the ability to revive!"

Zhou Liang pointed with his left hand at the rectangular stone blocks below and spoke to Dugu Yan.

"Revival! And so many of them? There's actually a Martial Soul like this!" Dugu Yan stared wide-eyed at Zhou Liang, her face filled with disbelief.

"Yes, revival. But there are all kinds of restrictions. It isn't something that can be done casually!" Zhou Liang shook his head and said to Dugu Yan.